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CATSKILL 

MOUNTAINS 



Ti^s Njogt ®Picfeures(que iy|our)tcvig pegior) . 

on the ©lobe. 



l^' 



J. H. JONES, 

General Superintendent. 



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|lster & Delaware l^ailroad ^^ 



iy|atter -Oescripfeive of tbjc |^ai_rnt5 of pip Var|Wir)kle ^[f^' 

ar]d how to read] t-hgrn. 



GEXERAL OFFICES, ROXOOUT, N. Y. 



THIS book is issued by the Passenger Department of the Ulster 
& Delaware Railroad Company. It is devoted to descriptive 
matter pertaining to the Catskill Mountains : their structure, 
history and development as a Summer Resort ; the sanitary advan - 
tages of summer life in the dry air of high mountain regions ; the 
absolute need of rest and vacation for the busy workers in city and 
town ; the scenic beauties and wildwood charms so lavishly spread 
for the delectation of every visitor. It also contains much genera! 
information regarding the leading points of interest throughout 
the range ; what and where they are, how to reach them and what 
to look for. In fact, it is an accurate guide-book to the regions 
reached by the mountain railways. 



c/;iav. 



COPYRIGHTED 1894, BY 
A. SIMS, GENERAL PASSENGER AGENT, 
ULSTER & DELAWARE R. R, 



'^^^^ 



With the exception of the points reached by the railroads, the 
altitudes given in this book are in accordance with Prof. Guyot, 
who was the first to make accurate measurements of the Catskills 
a few years ago. The heights given by other authorities will be 
found somewhat greater in nearly every case. 



Press of 
The Kingston Freeman, 

Rondoiit, N. Y. 



/-■ 



Tl^e Catskill AoUr\tair\s. 



In Summep Time. 



'The Statesman, Lawyer, Merchant, man of Trade, 
Pants for the refuge of some rural shade, 
Where all his long anxieties forgot 
Amid the charms of a sequester'd spot, 
Or recollected onlj' to gild o'er 
And add a sinile to what was sweet before, 
He may possess the joys he thinks he sees, 
Lay his old age upon the lap of Ease, 
Improve the remnant of his wasted span, 
And having lived a Trifler, die a man." 



THE wisdom and value of the annual summer rest is no longer 
a subject of question requiring any extended demonstration. 
Originating in a mere social fad, to gratify the demands of wealth, or 
satisfy the insatiable longings of those who rarely become tired, it has 
now become a hygienic necessity in the physical and mental economy 
of man which we can ignore only at our peril. If earlier generations 
knew nothing of summer vacations, or found little need of them, it 
was because they took more time to live and labored more deliberately 
and leisurely than we do to-day. They took life with all its duties and 
enjoyments by the day, while we take it by contract, as it were. The 
pressure of individual effort in the frail arteries of human existence is 
far greater now than it was then. As the human family increases in 
number, strife and competition grow more active. Men think faster 
and work harder, and women are tempted by the alluring results of 
larger and more congenial effort. All this demands careful conserva- 
tion of vital force and greater economy and discretion in the manage- 
ment of this complex and wondrous human organism so largely in our 
control. Like a steam engine and boiler which, in addition to the 
regular supply of water and fuel, must have periodical repairs, so with 
man. An abundant supply of food and clothes must be supplemented 
by days and weeks of relaxation and recreation in which to regain lost 
strength and vitality. 



The Catskill AoUritairis. 7 

Few, indeed, will seek to curtail or abate the noble energies and 
activities that so proudly characterize the time in which we live. It is 
an ambitious age, when grand human achievements are jostling each 
other on the pages of current history. But those who stand day after 
day, and month after month, engrossed and distracted amid the labor, 
turmoil and vexatious hum of business life — many of these busy thou- 
sands often neglect to heed timely warnings and go down suddenly 
under the strain of continuous work. The flabby muscles, the hollow 
cheeks, the feeble respiration and the exhausted brain, all these indicate 
that "f breathing spell out of town and away from business is impera- 
tive. A breath of nature at her best, uncontaminated by the dregs of 
city civilization, is a wonderful panacea for the weary and enervated 
worker of the town. 

Another aspect of the value of a summer vacation is almost as 
important to every class as that already presented, and even more so to 
those not overburdened with cares and occupations. This is the need 
of change ; change of scene, thought and action. In short, the inter- 
ruption of monotonous routine, whether it be in the line of restless 
activity, dignified leisure or consuming idleness. The desire for 
change is always a dominant impulse in the human breast. While the 
gratification of all these desires is quite impossible, and would prove 
unwise in any event, still to ignore any reasonable wish which may be 
possible to satisfy is sure to be an injustice to ourselves. If, then, so 
many thousands get sick and lired of brick and mortar, desks and 
ledgers, counters and drawing-rooms, elevated cars and blistering pave- 
ments, why not run out among the hills, the rocks, the green trees and 
fields, the fresh air and unadulterated sunshine, where the brooks, 
the birds and the leaves whisper in peaceful symphony } Nature writes 
the prescription and compounds the ingredients. 

For all this she makes no charge. But if we refuse the remedy 
she is sure to demand the penalty. Why should we decline the deli- 
cious and delightful re-vitalizing draught.'' 

The time for this vacation depends upon the climate in which one 
lives. In the cities of the temperate zones summer is the most enticing 
season in the country, and the most repulsive and unendurable in the 



5 Tl^e Catskill Aouritairis. 

city. Your wife is sick and tired of society and town gayety, the chil- 
dren long for the annual romp amid the green hills and valleys, and 
the frolic on the grass which is not under police protection. The 
whole family is gasping for fresh air and the country. The demon 
iMalaria threatens if you tarry, and the risk of delay is dangerous to 
assume. Thus it is, and wisely, that people pack up the necessary 
wearing apparel, and go to the mountains. Then, after a month 
or two of real country life, they return with renewed courage 
and vigor, which is applied to their customary vocations more effect- 
ually than ever. Home seems to have new attractions, or there is bet- 
ter mood to appreciate them, and many of the old vexations and tribu- 
lations are forgotten. 

The best time to start for the country and how long to remain are 
among the details which must always be governed largely by circum- 
stances. Of late the tendency has been to leave the city early in sum- 
mer and remain late in autumn. Thus the vacation season, in the 
mountains at least, has been materially extended. Surely the country 
is never more lovely than it is in June, and James Russell Lowell's 
famous challenge, made nearly thirty years ago, " What is so rare as a 
day in June.' " is yet unanswered. 

Nature spreads her freshest and most enchanting charms during 
this short month, which everybody, except the doctors and the icemen, 
would gladly see extended over into July and August. Even May is 
often very pleasant out of town. Trout are ripe then, and it is a good 
time to whip the mountain streams for exercise, sport and fish. Then, 
again, the easel of early autumn glows with golden, gorgeous beauty 
which is all its own. Not a single [une ingredient could improve an 
ideal September or October day, when 



" We gather leave.s of a thousand dyes, 
Speckled with crimson, spotted with green, 
And shaded with hues from Paradise." 



Thie Catskill AoUntains. 



^hepe to Go. 

•' I must away to wooded hills and vales, 
Where sparkling streams flow cool and silently, 
And green fields wait for me." 

"There every bush with Nature's music rings, 
There every breeze bears health upon its wings." 

THIS is a question which is often decided too quickly and care- 
lessly. A'few circulars from the leading resons and a hasty 
comparison of prices and the halcyon advantages and luxuries offered, 
usually constitute the preliminaries. But the exercise of a little 
common sense will show that this is a subject of serious importance. 
The monetary aspect of the summer vacation, though very essential 
to consider, should not be allowed to overshadow the main object 
for which the rest is sought. What manner of change do I need? 
Where can I get the best and most revivifying lung food.? Where 
shall I enjoy myself the best for the money I have to spend on this 
summer jaunt for repairs.? Questions like these should largely gov- 
ern the choice of places. Years ago, when our American summer 
resorts were so very few and comparatively inaccessible, it was easy 
enough to decide which of the two or three would be likely to prove 
the least undesirable. "How long is the stage ride.?" was the vital 
question. This tedious method of travel is now practically aban- 
doned, and yet the subject is far more complex than ever, because 
of the unlimited number of resorts and the varied and bewildering 
attractions which are set forth with so much fascinating emphasis 
by the enterprising owners. But the query comes up for decision 
every year, Where shall I go ? 

As the vast majority who most need the summer vacation live 
in the great cities which are located on or near the coast, like New 
York, Brooklyn, Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore, and as the 
primary object sought is a radical change of air, it is clearly apparent 



10 T\\e Catskill AoUritairis. 

that the mountain regions offer the most appropriate conditions for the 
fullest enjoyment and benefit attending the average summer sojourn. 
For those whose, lung diet for ten months in the year is impregnated 
with the salty humidity of old ocean, to spend their money and time in 
an extended vacation at the beach, rolling in the saliferous sand or 
cavorting in the briny surf, seems quite unwise. This fact is becoming 
better understood of late; hence the increasing favor of the higher 
attitudes away from the sea as a summer abode, which has been so 
marked. 

Here among the mountains we may escape the saturating, blistering 
heat of the dirty town and live in salubrious comfort and positive 
happiness all summer long. Being above the denser strata of cumulus 
or rain-cloud, the skies are brighter than those of the valley or plain. 
The air is pure, strong and dry, and the cool breezes of the green hills 
are freighted with those mystic and delightfully invigorating influences 
which no chemist has ever yet succeeded in analyzing. In fact, the 
old notion of attributing all the beneficial effects to health consequent 
upon mountain life to the reduced temperature, has of late years been 
found erroneous. Recent investigations by medical scientists show 
that there are other important ingredients in this favorite mountain 
prescription. An eminent doctor, writing of health resorts, treats of 
temperature as affected by elevaiii>n ; the effect of temperature upon the 
amount of oxygen in a given quantity of air; humidity as affected by 
altitude ; the proportion of atmospheric electricity and ozone ; and 
kindred influences found to exist in the upper aerial regions. At an 
elevation of 3000 feet, a cubic foot of air at 32 degrees Fahrenheit is 
found to contain as much oxygen as the same volume of air at sea-level, 
at a temperature of 65 degrees. Even at the Equator life is pleasant at 
high altitudes. There is thus no loss of the life-giving oxygen by 
ascent. Cool air can be found at the sea-shore and other low 
situations, but it is made cool and endurable only by condensation and 
moisture and not by the rarefying process peculiar to the distilleries of 
upper air. Hence those afflicted with rheumatism, consumptive or 
bronchial tendencies, asthma, malaria, nervous disorders, or anything 
akin to these maladies, will be wise in seeking the mountains. Those 
who are yet free from disease should take no unnecessary risks. 



The Cats.kill AoUqtairis. 



11 



The lofty mountains in their sublime silence, like the stars that 
bejewel the celestial dome above them, without speech or voice, are 
ever eloquent in their Creator's praise. Here the human mind is led 
to consider its relations with its Maker. Here, standing above the 
turmoils of the world, man may compare all his boasted achievements 
of ages with the mighty spectacle of earth and sky which now fills his 
soul with awe and impresses him anew with his own comparative 
insignificance. Made in a day, the towering crags grow in beauty and 
grandeur as the cycles of eternity roll silently on. 



" They come ! the merry summer months of beauty, song and flowers 
They come ! the gladsome months that bring thick leafiness to bowers. 
Up, up, my heart ! and walk abroad ; fling work and care aside : 
Seek silent hills, and rest thyself where crystal waters glide ; 
Or, underneath the shadow vast of patriarchal tree. 
Seen through its leaves the cloudless sky is rapt tranquillity." 




HUDSON RIVER LINE STEAMERS, PASSING UNDER POUGHKEEPSIE BRIDGE. 




-^'' 











OVer^ 4200 feet 



m 



id© Mahep. 



Tl\e Catskill AoUritairis. 13 



The Catskill l^ountains. 

"Like mighty thinkers, there they stand 
Above the soft, green pasture land ; 
Those grand, calm heights, like sages, hold 
Such treasures heaped from times of old ; 
Unquenched the living waters flow 
Which verdure brings to fields 1:jIow." 

WITH the brilliant record of ttie Catskill range as a summer 
resort, reaching back over twenty-five years, it would be 
natural to assume that little need be said now as to just where and 
what it is. Yet such an assumption would be hasty and inaccurate, 
and this book would be incomplete unless proper reference were made 
to the location and structure of this most interesting mountain group. 
This will appear evident in view of the fact that its visitors are no 
longer confined to the residents of a single State or nation, but come 
from every corner of the civilized world. 

Another reason for printing the brief paragraphs which appear 
under this title is to remove the strange notion that the Catskills are in 
danger of becoming a suburb of New York City. Overheated city 
journalists, who were condemned to think and write in their hot 
sanctums were guilty of heralding this brilliant injustice. The rail- 
roads have indeed done wonders for this famous mountain locality, 
but they never can remove a single one of the ninety or more statute 
miles which separate the charming region from that great metropolis of 
the western world. The romantic Catskills will never be annexed to 
New York City ; nor shall their picturesque wildness and native 
grandeur ever be sacrificed or lost in the dissolving shadows of men's 
ideas in brick and mortar. The shades of Rip Van Winkle forbid ! 

The Catskill Mountains form a spur of the Appalachian system, 
which stretches along the entire Atlantic coast from Maine to Alabama. 
Their trend is from southeast to northwest, or at right angles to that of 
all the other mountain groups in this system. The mountains proper 
cover a superficial area of about two thousand four hundred square 



14 



T\\e Catskill AoUritair\s. 



miles. Ninety miles from the mouth of the Hudson River, and from 
eight to ten miles back from the western shore, they rise abruptly from 
the base over three thousand feet in the air. The various mountain 
peaks, which are almost innumerable, differ from each other in 
physical structure and plastic form. As a whole they are quite unlike 
ordinary mountain formations in a geological aspect, being masses of 
piled-up strata in the original horizontal position, instead of the usual 
folds or fragments of arches. Originally their form is believed to have 
been that of a high plateau or mass of elevations. Glacial action is 
clearly indicated ; at least thirteen distinct visitations of this mighty 
propelling force peculiar to the early ages of the world's history have 
been traced, and the angle of direction recorded. 

The natural system of drainage here presented is worthy of notice. 
The entire drainage for the interior highlands of the Catskills proper is 
provided by the Schoharie Creek and its tributaries. Strangely enough 




TROUT STREAM NEAR GRAND HOTEL STATION. 



Th\e Catskill AoUritairis. 15 

these streams carry the water all the way around to the Mohawk River, 
and thence to the Hudson, one hundred and seventy-five miles from 
the starting point, which is in fact only eight or ten miles in a direct 
line from the Hudson some sixty miles south of Albany, where it 
receives the discharge of the Mohawk. 

This erratic group of mountains is full of interest to geologists and 
scientists in general. These vast masses of conglomerate are found to 
present all the conditions of a huge pile of quicksand as it existed just 
prior to conversion into stone. The inherent tendency to slide is 
plainly seen on Slide Mountain, the Overlook and at various other 
points in the range. Professor Arnold Guyot, who has made more 
careful and scientific investigation and personal observation of the 
Catskills than any other man, believes that the surface of the earth in 
prehistoric ages had tenfold more water upon it than we find now. 
Thus in the physical epoch of antediluvian times, water was the great 
agent in causing these mountain slides. 

The theory of an original high plateau, which is now generally 
accepted by scientific investigators who have visited the range, seems 
amply established by the confirmatory facts published by Dr. Guyot 
about twelve years ago. This important evidence was the result of 
some seventeen summers' investigation and study by the noted 
scientist. His observations on Slide Mountain alone, the highest and 
one of the most interesting peaks of the entire group, were of the 
greatest import. 

But after adopting the most careful theories suggested by science 
and investigation, regarding the formation and structure of this 
interesting mountain group, both student and savant will find ample 
scope for ingenious conjecture and rampant speculation. 



Thie Catskill AoUntairis. 17 



Icregendapy and Historic. 

NOTHING is known concerning the primeval history of this 
charming mountain region or its people. Indeed, the record 
of the seventeenth, and even the early portion of the eighteenth 
century^is so fragmentary and incomplete that we are led to suspect 
that the chroniclers of that period were in prophetic league with the 
famous author of Rip Van Winkle, who was to appear upon the scene 
with his magic pen and realistic imagination twenty-five years later, or 
with the immortal creator "of " Leather-Stocking," the most eloquent 
woodsman that ever lived. Even the voice of tradition ventures cau- 
tiously in the corridors of the remote and pre-historic past. But if 
anything were needed to invest the locality with additional enchant- 
ment and interest it would be most effectually supplied by these very 
facts. The embers of speculation are ever ready for the rekindling 
influences of such favoring romantic conditions. 

Just who it was who first sailed up this beautiful Hudson River 
—called by the Indians "Cohohatatia," meaning River of the Moun- 
tains — seems of late to be a matter of some doubt. The fact that the 
celebrated navigators Verrazano and Gomez were at least at the mouth 
ot the river nearly a hundred years before Hendrick Hudson arrived 
there in his "Half Moon" is now well established, and it is highly 
probable that even they were antedated by other explorers. Verrazano 
says : "We took the boat, and, entering the river, we found the coun- 
try on its banks well peopled, the inhabitants not differing much from 
the others, being dressed out with feathers of birds of various colors." 
This was in 1524. 

But, without stopping further to analyze the priority of Hudson's 
claim, it is sufficient to note here that in 1609, when he first ventured 
up the noble stream in his curious Dutch ship, he was attracted by 
these great hills against the sky, and cast his anchor for a short inspec- 
tion. He went ashore and was hospitably received and entertained by 



T\\e Catskill AoUritairis. 19 

the Iroquois Indians, who were then in possession of the reo-ion. 
They took tlie navigator and his small party of sailors into a laro-e hut 
which had an external covering of oak bark. In this rude structure 
was stored their harvest of corn and beans. IMats were spread on the 
ground floor of the hut, and upon these the Dutch sailors sat to par- 
take of food from a huge wooden bowl or tray. The Indians after- 
ward killed a fattened dog in honor of the great event, and to tempt 
the appetites of their white visitors. It was a notable visit, and the 
sturdy sailors seem to have been in no hurry about returning to the 
ship. 

Would that a picture of that quaint scene could be presented on 
this page, but unfortunately there was no artist " on the spot," and the 
kodak had not yet been invented. 

Then for sixty-nine years the records are practically silent regard- 
ing the Catskills. But on the eighth day of July, 1678, a company of 
Dutch and English gentlemen assembled at the Stadt Huis in Albany, 
where ihey met Mahak-Neminaw, the ruling Indian chief, and six 
leading representatives of his tribe. Here, after a lengthy and curious 
conference with the noted red men of the forest, the purchase of a 
large portion of this mountain region was effected. In consideration 
of certain trinkets and trifles of stupendous value to the Indian eye, the 
title, with its curious hieroglyphics, was passed. Soon after this the 
aboiiginal owners of the " Onteoras " (hills of the sky) seem to have 
gradually disappeared from the locality. 

The untutored red men regarded these mountains with peculiar 
solemnity and a feeling of superstitious awe. They looked upon these 
gigantic hills as the abode of a great and powerful Spirit who con- 
trolled the elements of earth, made the sun, moon and stars anew each 
day, and in a large measure governed the universe. But the early 
Dutch settlers, who immediately succeeded the Indians, called the 
high mountain peaks "Keykouts" (lookouts or overlooks), where the 
spirit of the intrepid navigator dwelt and watched over the noble river 
which has since borne his name. There is -a wealth of Indian lore 
and Dutch tradition which is readily adapted to the fertile fancies of 
the skilled romancer in dealing with this region. But these are practi- 



20 



TY\e Catskill AoUntairis. 



cal pages devoted to another purpose And yet all this has made the 
Catskill region an enchanted shadow-land of legend and romance, and 
thus it will be handed down to the end of time The mystic halo 
which Irving and Cooper spread around the Catskill Mountains is 
destined to outlive the towering crags themselves. The brush-marks 
of their eloquent imagination are as fresh to-day as when first they fell 
upon the pliant canvas of the future. 




A SCENE NEAR THE FAMOUS STONY CLOVE. 



Th^e Catskill AoUritair\s. 21 



Scenic 3eauty. 

IN native grandeur and picturesque and diversified landscapes the 
Catskills are not surpassed by any mountain region on the globe. 
"What see you when you get there? " "Creation," said Natty, point- 
ing to the highest crag in the range. 

Hear the noted hunter as he proceeds with his graphic descrip- 
tion : "I was on that hill when Vaughn burnt 'Sopus in the last war, 
and I seen the vessels come out of the Highlands as plainly as I can 
see that lime-scow moving into the Susquehanna, though one was 
twenty times further from me than the other. The river was in sight 
for seventy miles under my feet, looking like a curled shaving, though 
it was eight long miles to its banks. I saw the hills in the Hampshire 
grants, the Highlands of the river, and all that God had done, or man 
can do, as far as the eye could reach ; and as for 'Sopus the day the 
royal troops burnt the town, the smoke seemed so nigh that I thought 
I could hear the screeches of the women. If being the best part of a 
mile in the air, and having views of farms and houses at your feet, with 
rivers looking like ribbons, and mountains seeming to be hay-stacks of 
green grass under you, gives any satisfaction to a man, I can recom- 
mend the spot. When I first caine into the woods to live I used to 
have weak spells, and I felt lonesome, and then I would go into the 
Catskills and spend a few days on that hill to look at the ways of 
man. " 

Look at the mighty crags as they rise three and four thousand feet 
in the air. Their massive, precipitous slopes clothed in cyclopean 
mantles of living green, each leaf performing its unerring function in 
the economy of Nature, and whispering its little role in the great ter- 
restrial symphony of the universe. See the gigantic ribs of rock which 
protrude from the flesh of the mountain here and there, like titanic 
fortresses against the assaults of ages ; these tangled emerald slopes 
upon which the sunshine and shadows of centuries have chased each 



Tl^e Catskill AoUr^tains. 23 

other in cosmic glee. Go down into the enchanting caiions, dark, 
deep and cool ; the wild and rocky gorges where the shimmering 
trout streams babble melodiously among the gnarled roots, the mossy 
boulders and smooth pebbles, to the echoing refrain of the beetling 
walls of mountain which surround them. Listen to the mellow cadence 
of Nature's breath as it floats in upon your ear fresh from the verdant 
throat of the mountain. Nor sight nor sound mars nor disturbs the 
peaceful harmony of this arcadian realm. Look up yonder toward 
the head of the gorge where the sparkling water, tired of threading its 
winding way through many a rocky gulch, weary of its lazy, dreamy 
life among the stones and roots of quiet pools, suddenly leaps madly, 
beautifully over the precipice, down, down, hundreds of feet, to the 
bottom of the gorge in which you stand. See the slender scarf as it 
leaves the jutting table-rock and breaks into a sheeny shower of fleecy 
foam in its downward plunge, sending up a misty spray which bedews 
the surrounding foliage and paints the rainbow amid the sunbeams. 
Climb to the breezy crests that crown these lofty crags. Here among 
the clouds you are brought in contact with new and wondrous atmos- 
pheric phenomena. The filmy vapor flits up the mountain side, and 
scuds past your cheeks on the wings of the wind. Enveloped now as 
amid an ocean, with no sound or hint of life, anon the veil is lifted, 
the sun looks down upon you and the checkered valley slumbers in 
marvelous beauty at your feet. Or, sit upon this colossal boulder, 
dropped as a pebble from some mighty hand, and watch the gathering 
fury of a storm. 

Again, at daybreak, as the sun peers over the eastern horizon and 
glints the sleeping landscape with amber and gold, a rolling mass of 
clouds will be seen to cover the valley thousands of feet below, while 
the air and sky above are clear and blue. Anon, as the vapor begins 
to scatter in sublime commotion under the rays of the rising sun, the 
scene becomes indescribably beautiful. Many an artist has tried to 
enchain upon his canvas these early morning scenes of the cloud-man- 
tled valley. Then the fleeting, angry showers of mid-day, which so 
often gather, break and finish their noisy, bustling career far below, 
while you are basking in the placid sunshine of the mountain- top. 



24 



T\\e Catskill AoUritairis. 



Again, in the evening twilight, as the receding sun bathes the earth in 
tranquil glory and paints his transient banner in the sky, you watch in 
silent admiration. All this beauty, and vastly more which human pen 
is powerless to describe, is freely spread for the summer sojourner in 
these mountains. Who can afford to miss the feast? 




THE GREAT WEST SHORE R. R. BRIDGE OVER THE RONDOUT CREEK. 



T\\e Catskill AoUr\tairis. 25 



The Sanitapy Advantages. 

AMONG all the charms and attractions so lavishly spread for the 
enjoyment and pleasure of every visitor to the Catskills, none 
other is quite so valuable and beneficial as the pure, invigorating air. 
If every other desirable feature were absent, this attribute alone would 
make the region especially desirable for summer life. For without 
health, how could we enjoy the scenery or any other portion of the 
mountain menu? For breathing purposes the Catskills are unsur- 
passed and rarely equalled. Here the exhausted workers of city and 
plain may drink in new vitality at every breath, and thus strengthen if 
not indeed prolong their days. The Adirondacks and other more dis- 
tant resorts, being at a lower elevation, have been found less beneficial 
in their healthful influences. 

As one ascends the breezy Catskills the exhilarating invigoration is 
plainly felt. The strong air of the upper altitudes seems to rummage 
around through the lungs, and to uncover a few millions of unex- 
plored or disused cells, the existence of which was never before sus- 
pected. At this your whole system proceeds at once to celebrate -the 
discovery witti a grand hygienic jubilee, which you have no wish to 
restrain. 

As already intimated on a previous page, the sanitary advantages 
of the summer vacation among the most favorable atmospheric con- 
ditions is distinctly a modern discovery. Possibilities of this nature 
were frequently suspecied and even hinted at, but the benefits were 
most imperfectly understood and quite unappreciated. To escape the 
burning heat and humid oppression of the cities, and flee to the cool 
mountain for rest and sleep, was regarded as highly pleasing and 
enjoyable. But it is only within a few years that the full measure of 
hygienic advantage aff'orded by a summer home among the mountains 
has been properly realized, and even now there is a vast deal more to 
learn on this very important subject. The mere exchange of sea-shore 



Tl^e Catskill AoUritairis. 27 

for mountain air, while highly beneficial in itself, does not embrace 
nor explain all the advantages which are found to result. Eminent 
medical writers are now devoting most careful thought to this subject. 
Hence t':e first question of every intelligent seeker of rest and vigor 
now is, " Where shall I get the best air.' " 

There is a delightful dryness in the air of the higher Catskills 
which is inimical to pulmonary affections, and this same quality is 
found highly beneficial to all enervated persons who live rapidly or 
work exhaustively in the field of business activity. One can sit on the 
breezy verandas up here, feel cool and even cold, without danger, so 
dry and pure is the air. Indeed, a brisk walk on these broad plat- 
forms in the early morning, and again in the evening, cold and 
breezy as it may appear, is worth a whole ton of doctors' prescriptions 
or patent medicines. Then, too, the perturbed soul will find a sooth- 
ing, pacifying influence in this natural pharmacy of the skies which is 
easier to enjoy than define. There is a quiet solemnity pervading the 
atmosphere which impresses the visitor so deeply that he actually for- 
gets to worry and fret over his cares and responsibilities for the time. 
This is not an imaginary picture ; thousands have sat upon these rugged 
rocks and enjoyed the realization of it all. 

Like the scenery, this air is absolutely free. You can stand on 
the rocks and look away over thirty thousand square miles of varied 
and beautiful landscape, belonging to seven or eight different States, 
and you may use a thousand cubic inches of the choicest air every 
minute of the day and night, with no fear of exhausting the supply ; all 
without a porter's fee. 

The exceptional purity of the water is next in importance. This 
is in copious supply, bubbling up in sparkling springs, rippling forth 
from rocky crevice, tumbling over shelving precipices, urging on some 
ponderous wheel, or shimmering o'er the lazy trout. In fact, the 
water is good to drink, even very excellent for this purpose. It is cool 
and pleasant to the taste, and its effects upon the system are highly 
beneficial. 

Thus, as the days of your mountain sojourn go by, there is a 
revitalizing process tingling through every part of your organism. 



25 



Thie Catskill AoUritairiS. 



Your food tastes better and you eat more ; you sleep more soundly and 
with more restful, refreshing effect, and you are inclined to place a 
higher value upon life and its prerogatives than at other times when 
you were immersed in the cares and perplexities of business. In short, 
you become a stronger and better man or woman, and better fitted for 
the duties and trials of the future. 

It is readily seen, therefore, that the C.itskill region is an ideal 
place for summer cottage life. All the conditions are favorable. The 
air, the temperature, the water, the scenery ; the ready, frequent and 
comfortable means of access, all combine to make summer home life 
delightful and beneficial. If any confirmation of this fact is asked for, 
we have only to refer to the many hundreds of such summer residents 
who already own or rent pretty cottages all through the range. The 
mountains are thicklv studded with enchanting cottage sites. 








^i^^f^^^S^^^ 









^^^Si^ki^i 



Tl^e Catskill AoUritairis. 



29 




How to Get T^hepe. 



FOR nearly fiftv years after the Catskills were first thought of as a 
summer resort, the region remained practically inaccessible 
and undeveloped. A hot and dusty day's ride in a lumbering stage 
coach, over a horrid, stony, rutty road, and up a steep mountain side 
was the inevitable method. The trip was uncertain and not wholly 
unattended with danger. A passing shower or storm might at any 
time wash out the narrow road or hurl the rude brush bridges down 
into the ravine. It was not enough to be an enthusiastic lover ot 
mountain grandeur, but it took a man of health and vigor, with a 
goodly share of courage and endurance, to stand the journey. Invalids, 
who would be most benefited by the air and scenery, rarely attempted 
the trip. This, however, was about the situation of traffic to the Cats- 
kill Mountains from 1823, when the first cabin hotel was built, until 
1870, when the iron rails began to reach out among the hills. Of 
course the stage ride was somewhat shortened and improved by better 
roads and appliances during the latter portion of that period, but the 
steep and stony miles were all there, the jaded horses and the rocking 



30 T\\e Catskill AoUr\tairis. 

stage. The discomfort and fatigue of the journey were only lessened 
in degree. Visitors were still expected to relieve the poor horses by 
walking up the steepest hills. Nobody was really requested to do this, 
of course, in view of the ample price paid for riding. But the drivers 
were experienced and loquacious old mountain whips, and they had a 
way of getting their passengers out on their feet for an occasional heavy 
mile or so, "just to rest their legs." This was rarely resented by the 
average traveler, who, moi>t likely, had been watching the tugging, 
over-heated, and, perhaps, short-winded horses uneasily and with some 
compassion. But this mountain visit could only be made at the price 
of much physical discomfort. 

Meanwhile the most charming portion of the range, the wild and 
beautiful region lying in the counties of Ulster and Delaware, was 
practically unknown and largely unexplored. Not even an artist had 
made a sketch there, and only a few sturdy hunters and barkmen had 
set foot among these mighty crags. The great mountain chain had 
scarcely been penetrated on this side, which was destined so soon to 
become the great and easy approach for the entire Catskill Mountain 
region. The giant Slide Mountain, which had been looking down 
upon every other peak in the range for countless ages, was quite 
unknown. The variety and magnificence for which this vast and 
beautiful southwestern region is now so justly famous, and which have 
since so greatly enhanced the fame of the Catskills and made it the 
great popular summer resort that it is, was yet a sealed book. 




Th^e Catskill AoUqtair^s. 31 



The CJ-lstep & 3e]aw^ape H^iJr>oad. 

THE a-dvent of the iron horse in 1S70 marked the new era in the 
history of these favored mountains, as it has in the develop- 
ment and progress of so large a share of human effort in these modern 
times. . The iron rails reached out from the river to the mountains 
across and over the hills themselves. The construction of the Ulster 
& Delaware Railroad was begun in 1S66. Everybody looked upon it 
as a wild project, with little chance of success, and the enterprise pro- 
ceeded slowly at first. But those enlisted in the scheme had faith in 
the final result, and they resolved not to be deterred. 

The line was not an easy one to build. There was, indeed, a 
natural valley or pass through the mountains which the engineers 
could and did follow. But this valley was exceedingly crooked and 
tortuous, and there were many things to consider and provide for. 
Even now, the observing tourist will have doubts whether Nature ever 
intended that man should stretch a railroad through this valley. The 
grade would be necessarily heavy most of the way, and there was a 
fitful, nervous mountain stream, with many excitable and wayward lit- 
tle tributaries pouring in from every gorge and gulch. Most of the- 
time all these were quiet and inoffensive enough. The speckled trout 
disported lazily in the crystal water, the streams glistened in the noon- 
day sun like silver threads in the woof of the mountain, and all night 
long their rippling refrain made sweet melody in the wild woodland. 
But when the floods came and the deep snows melted, these pretty rills 
grew wild with their own importance. They swelled into large roar- 
ing torrents in a few hours, flooding the narrow valley, and growing so 
angry as to carry everything down before them — bridges, embank- 
ments, trestles, roadways — nothing was respected. True, these streams 
had never been in conflict with a railroad, but there was every reason 
to believe they would treat this like all other modern innovations of man, 
if not with increased antagonism and disrespect. Such, at least, was 
the judgment of the engineers, and they built the road upon this theory. 



32 The Catskill AoUritairis. 

It was well laid out and firmly constructed. The best materials 
were used at every step in its progress, and it has been solidified and 
strengthened every year since with little regard to cost, but with every 
care for stability, security, efficiency and comfort, until to-day the 
Ulster Sz Delaware Railroad is second to none in security of road-bed, 
safety, efficiency and comfort of equipment. 

Of course this railroad proved the great developing factor of the 
Catskills as a popular summer resort. It was not built in advance of 
its need, but it was the very thing the people had been waiting for. It 
opened an entirely new section of the mountains which rivaled, if not 
even surpassed in beauty, any other portion of the range, and made the 
entire region easily accessible to all. 

As yet, however, there were few or no hotels in this new region 
where visitors could be entertained. But the running of trains on the 
new railroad was begun in Ma)', 1870. At once hotels and boarding 
houses were built at various points along the line, and visitors came in 
increasing numbers. Many came to fish, as the streams abounded in 
trout, but others came to get the bracing air and enjoy the beautiful 
scenery. They brought their families, their friends and their baggage. 
Finding they could come and go between business and a delightful 
summer home with little loss of time and at slight cost, business men 
left their families to enjoy the mountains during the healed term. 
Thus it was that the completion of the railroad gave such a new 
impetus to the mountain boarding business. 

Not even the poor old stage-horses showed either enmity or envy 
toward their modern iron competitor. Everybody for once was 
delighted to miss the stages. Visitors poured into the mountains by 
thousands, and Rondout and Kingston at once became the great 
diverging points for the Catskills, as they have been ever since and 
will remain. To reach the mountains rapidly, comfortably and enjoy- 
ably, are the essential points with all visitors, and these requirements 
are fully met by the swift trains and the elegant coaches of the Ulster & 
Delaware Road. An hour's whirl up the beautiful valley from Kingston 
brings one almost in the heart of the mountains and without weariness 
or fatigue. 



Th\e Catskill AoUr)tains. 



33 



The Only All-Hail Houte. 




-:>'>^^^^:7^^ 



i^-ONDOUT is the eastern or river terminus of the mountain 
railway system. It was formerly a village, having been 
incorporated in 1849, and here the Dutch established in 
1 6 14 one of the first settlements in the State. But the 
place has now outgrown the name, having united with its 
sister village, Kingston, and become incorporated as The 
City of Kingston in 1872. The name "Rondout" is, how- 
ever, retained locally, because of the retention of the old post-office of 
that name. It is the river port of the city, being situated on the 
northerly bank of the Rondout Creek, near its mouth. Being the tide- 
water terminus of the Delaware & Hudson Canal, and having extensive 
manufacturing interests, it has long enjoyed the largest river commerce 
of any point on the Hudson except Albany. Several steamboat lines, 
passenger, freight and towing boats are operated here ; and it has 
to-day, doobtless, more steamboats than any other place on the river. 
The fleet and the famous " I\Iary Powell " makes daily trips between 
this port and New York in summer. Then there are the large steamers 
of the Romer & Tremper Night Line, the elegant Hudson River Day 
Boats, the New York Central & Hudson River and Philadelphia, Read- 
ing & New England trains. From all these converging tributaries of 
transportation the Ulster & Delaware trains receive liberal and increasing 
traffic daily. Winding gracefully and steadily up the grade from the 
river, describing a huge letter "S," the trains intersect with the West 
Shore Railroad near the centre of the city. 




34 Tl\e Catskill AoUritairis. 



;INGSTON (Union Depot) is thus the first stop on the Ulster 
& Delaware line. Here all trains on the West Shore and 
Wallkill Valley Railroads connect with the Ulster & Dela- 
ware trains for the mountains, this being also the northern 
terminus of the Wallkill Valley Road. The fast Catskill 
Mountain specials on the West Shore line, with their ele- 
gant parlor coaches, are here transferred to the Ulster & Delaware 
track. 

These are among the fastest summer trains scheduled upon any 
road in the country. The run from New York is made in two hours 
and fifteen minutes. During the regular season there are about forty 
trains which stop at this station daily. This will give some idea of the 
vast amount of summer traffic handled at this place. 

While the switches are being made there is time to catch a distant 
view of the mountains looking directly north from the station. Here, 
in plain sight, are the famous Overlook, Plattekill, High Peak, or 
Mount Lincoln, the Kaaterskill and South Mountain peaks. Near the 
crest of the Overlook, which is nearest of this eastern group, will be 
seen the Overlook Mountain House, a large white building standing 
out clearly against the sky, 2978 feet above the river. A few rods to 
the right, on the very crest of the mountain, 3150 feet above tide, 
appears an elongated vertical speck, an observatory about 50 feet high. 
The loftiest peak of the group is Mount Lincoln, 3664 feet. Still 
farther to the right, and across the Cove, the mammoth Katterskill 
Hotel will be seen, appearing almost like a village in the sky. A short 
mile more to the right, and over against South Mountain, is the famous 
old Catskill Mountain House, the pioneer resort in the range. 

But before the train starts for the hills let us inspect the equip- 
ment in which you are to make the ascent. Note the powerful 50-ton 
locomotive of the latest and most approved make, as it stands hissing 
and throbbing, impatiently waiting for the run. Two, and sometimes 
three, of these modern steeds are attached when the train is exception- 
ally heavy. The coaches are large, new, and elegantly fitted through- 
out. The latest improved platform and Westinghouse automatic air- 



T\\e Catskill AoUritairis. 



35 



brakes are used on all trains, and the entire equipment is the best now 
in use on first-class roads. The road is standard gauge, with heavy 
steel rails over the whole line. The management has long been noted 
for promptness, carefulness and general efficiency. The conductors 
and trainmen will be found uniformly polite, efficient and obliging, 
most of them having been in the employ of the company many years. 
The trains make excellent time, and no accidents to passengers have 
ever occurred on the line. 

A* length, as the train pulls out for the mountains, the traveler 
finds himself whirling over the level flat in the northern edge of the 
city. 

FAIR STREET is the first stop. This is only a few rods from the 
famous old " Senate House," built in 1676, where the first constitution 



of New York 
f r a m e d and 
woodwork was 
the town was 
British in Oc- 
the old stone 
like adamant 
vaders, which, 




TUF OIL) SEN Mb HOLbl 



State was 
adopted. The 
destroyed when 
burned by the 
tober, 1 777, but 
walls stood 
against the in- 
w i t h many 



others like it, are still standing in this ancient and historic town. 
This structure is now owned by the State. It may be seen from 
the train by a vigilant eye just before Fair Street Station is reached. 
The train next crosses the Esopus Creek on an iron bridge, 
speeds rapidly over fertile lowland meadows, and then plunges boldly 
into the Ulster and Delaware valley, which, throughout its entire 
length, is one of the most picturesque and beautiful to be found. The 
ascent is gradual, though continuous, all the way to West Hurley, 
nine miles from Rondout, and you have then reached an elevation of 
540 feet above the river. The track hugs the left or southern slope of 
the valley as you go up. 





36 Th\e Catskill AoUqtains. 

EST HURLEY is the first station on the hill. It is a 
bit of a hamlet lying on the left, largely devoted to the 
: mining and shipping of bluestone, which is abundant 
f 5 in this vicinity. There is here a hotel and several 
|^^^ stores and shops. But the stop which is made here 
is important chiefly because of the connection with the 
Overlook Mountain House. Visitors for the Overlook 
Mountain, Woodstock village and the adjacent region may leave the 
train and take the stages, which are in waiting at this point. The hotel, 
which is near the crest of the mountain, 2978 feet above tide, stands 
out more boldly than ever on the mountain top, which seems very high 
and attractive from this point. The little Woodstock village, not visible 
from here, nestles at the very base of the mountain, five miles away. 
It has a good hotel, and there are several boarding houses scattered all 
about, Mead's Mountain Home, one of the oldest resorts in this 
region, is about half way up Overlook Mountain, on a commanding 
divide. The Overlook Hotel is yet another two miles steady climb 
away ; but the road is excellent, and the breezy destination with all its 
attractions is glorious indeed. It commands a most extended and 
beautiful view, and though the intervening miles below the mountain 
are long and stony, there is always a rich and charming feast awaiting 
near the sky at the end. 

The railroad is now nearly level and about as straight as it ever 
gets. Straight roads and mountains are in fact romantically incom- 
patible, hence the Ulster ifc Delaware was not built that way. 

The train speeds rapidly over this level stretch of track ; the 
engineer "pulls her wide open," to show what can be done, and to 
gain time for the hills. Brief stops are made at 

OLIVE BRANCH and BROWN'S STATION on the wa}', unless 
the train is an express, which for present purposes it is not. This is 
indeed a remarkably peaceful locality, well supplied with modest board- 
ing houses, where tired humanity can rest and revel in the air of the 
foot-hills with careless abandon, and at low rates. You will have 
noticed that at West Hurley the trend of the mountains turned to the 
west, almost at right angles with the eastern front. 



TY\e Catskill AoUntains. 37 

BRODHEAD'S BRIDGE, the next stop, is another bluestone 
depot, with a rubbing and planing mill. Nothing in sight tempts one 
to leave the train here, but many do, as there are quiet farm houses 
all about, with a hearty welcome to visitors. 

Here the Esopus Creek is encountered again and crossed eighteen 
miles from Rondout, it having been on a big sweeping bend southward 
since ii was crossed near Kingston. But from this time on, the creek 
and railroad do not part company until one of the sources of the 
stream, is reached. Soon after leaving this station the road turns 
abruptly to the north and pursues that general course until Phoenicia 
is reached. 

?HOKAN is the' first stop on this stretch. This is one of the 
few old Indian names that have been retained in the geo- 
graphical nomenclature of this locality. It was originally 
spelled "Ashokan," however. It is often termed the 
"Gateway of the Catskills, " but several other similar 
entrances will be found. It is a pleasant little mountain 
hamlet with churches, schools, stores and numerous summer 
boarding resorts, where many city peo'ple dwell contentedly most of the 
summer. On approaching the station the beautiful "High Point" 
peak, 3098 feet skyward, is seen on the left in a southerly direction. 
Near the station are several old charcoal kilns, such as may be seen at 
other points along the route. On leaving Shokan Station, looking 
about four miles west, a cluster of live lofty mountain peaks, forming a 
crescent, will be seen. To the right is the "Wittenberg," ^'j'/S feet ; 
next is Mount Cornell, 3681 feet high. Some two miles beyond this 
chain are the noted Slide Mountains, highest of all, 4205 feet; Peaka- 
moose, 3875 feet, and Table Mountain, 3865 feet high. For all of 
these most interesting mountains in the range the Ulster & Delaware 
Railroad is the only approach. Three miles beyond Shokan the train 
halts briefly at 

BOICEVILLE, long enough to leave the mail bag, though not 
many passengers, as the locality is not largely devoted to summer 
boarding as yet. It is another bluestone depot. 




^ 




#'.<i 






' I& % 
'.^?^^^ 




r J-^ctL 



Th\e Catskill AoUritairis. 



39 




OUNT PLEASANT is the next station, and it has one 
gf^ of the picturesque Httle depot buildings which have 
lately been constructed on the line of this road. It is 
a very attractive and popular summer section, with 
many hotels and private resting places dotted here and 
there in the narrow and charming valley, which is here 
encircled with towering mountains. "The Corner " is 
the old and decisive name by which the place w-as known, and still 
remain's to designate the postoffice. At the station guests for nearly 
forty boarding houses leave the train, making a lively racket with kisses 
and baggage all summer long. 

The surrounding mountains are now encroaching upon the nar- 
row confines of the valley in such a peculiar and aggressive manner 
that one is highly impressed with their beauty. The old Esopus Creek 
winds in and out here in a careless and happy way, with no appearance 
of haste in reaching the Hudson ; the mountain climbs are easy and 
inviting, and hundreds of visitors are always delighted with Mount 
Pleasant and its vicinity, as the numerous resorts clearly show. 




-^^ 



j^HCENICIA is now three miles up the valley, and 790 feet 
above tide-water. This is one of the most important sta- 
tions on the line, and a very lively railway centre. The 
valley is here very narrow, and there is barely room for the 
railroad, the creek and the old wagon road. It is the 
entrance to the famous Stony Clove and the southern termi- 
nus of the Stony Clove & Catskill Mountain Railroad. Pas- 
sengers for that region and the old Greene County resorts must now 
change cars, as that road is a narrow-gauge line. This route and locality 
will be referred to in later pages of this book. Here, near the station on a 
broad plateau, is the large and popular Tremper House, which was 
the first extensive hotel built in this part of the range. It is a favorite 
resort with many, and there are several delightful drives in the vicinity. 
The southern ledges of Mount Sheridan, in the rear of the house, 
afford an excellent view of the Wittenberg, Cornell, Panther, Balsam 
and Slide peaks, and the Shandaken and Woodland valleys. There 



40 Tl^e Catskill AoUntairis. 

are several smaller houses of entertainment in or near the hamlet. 
There is also a pretty little Methodist church, and a few stores and 
dwellings. Trains usually meet and pass each other here, and the 
station is a bustling spot about that time — an e.Kcellent place to study 
choice bits of human nature and watch the dexterity of baggage men 
who are here called upon for rapid work. 

As the train moves on up the valley, winding closely along the 
left bank of the creek, which is now growing smaller and less 
aggressive as the vicinity of its source is approached, the narrow valley 
becomes more wild and beautiful every mile of the way, and the 
mountains on either side are higher and grander. Ever and anon you 
seem to be walled in on every hand, but the engine finds the way out 
and onward. A mile up the track from Phcenicia is "Woodland 
Valley," or "Snyder Hollow," opening on the left. This is one of the 
most picturesque and charming wildwood passes in the whole range, 
about nine miles long, and reaching to the base of the Wittenberg, 
Cornell and Slide Mountain itself The temptation is to use a page in 
description at this point, but it is better to leave it all for the personal 
eye of the visitor. As the train proceeds, Mounts Sheridan, Sherrill 
and North Dome loom up grandly on the right with deep, dark gorges 
between. The next station is 

ALLABEN, formerly "Fox Hollow," the older and more 
romantic name. You have now risen nearly 200 feet in the last five 
miles. In this immediate vicinity, wild and woody as it seems, will be 
found eight or ten quiet boarding houses. 

^HANDAKEN is next, 1060 feet above tide and ^^ miles 
away. This is a highly popular summer region with many 
visitors always, and a charming locality it is. The name is 
,f^ Indian, meaning "rapid water." Over 500 visitors can be 
entertained in and near the hamlet, and nearly 1500 more 
may ride away in the numerous stages which are in waiting 
for Lexington, Westkill, Spruceton and other distant and 
popular resorts. This is always a lively spot about train time. 
The Palace Hotel, formerly the ' ' Lament House, " is the largest and most 




Tl^e Catskill TAoUritairis. 



41 



modern in the vicinity. It is near the station, new and well appointed. 
Many other houses are scattered all about, and it is a very common 
thing to hear the response " Shandaken " when Catskill visitors are 
asked concerning the special locality of their mountain sojourn. 

A pleasant legend invests this por- 
tion of the valley with interest as the 
scene of buried treasure of immense 
value, some of which being the prop- 
erty of noted British officers. But the 
most diligent and patient excavations 
have thus far failed to uncover anything 
of this nature. A remarkable butter- 
nut tree growing near Shandaken is 
worthy of mention. It is nearly a 
hundred years old, and is said to have 
borne seventy-five bushels of nuts in 
1878. The branches spread horizon- 
tally near the ground over an area 
eighty-four feet in diameter. 




42 Tf\e Catskill AoUritains. 




-9, 



.;IG INDIAN is now reached after an ascent of 150 feet, 
which is distributed over three very crooked miles. You 
look ahead and declare that the train has got to the end of 
its tether this time sure. A great wall of mountain rises 
all around. But you wait patiently vvlnle the tourists for 
Slide Mountain and all that region get themselves and 
their luggage into the stages. It is eleven miles distant. 
But this mountain deserves a separate paragraph. On the 
way to it is the New York State Deer Park and the Winnisook Lodge, 
and beyond it is the Neversink trouting region. 

This is the station for the charming Big Indian Yalley, which well 
deserves more graphic and extended notice than can be accorded to it 
here. Every visitor should either ride, walk or wheel through this 
lovely valley, where nearly every other house is a post-office, and the 
stage crosses the little creek in each case anew to have the mail-bag 
overhauled while you wait. 

There is a deal of Indian lore pertaining to this lovely valley, and 
while the engine is gathering force for the big hill just ahead, a bit of 
this tradition may be read with interest. " Big Indian " was the popu- 
lar name of a stalwart red man who lived in this locality. His iribal 
cognomen was "Winnisook," and he is said to have been seven feet 
in height, and possessed of great muscular power. He fell in love 
with a comely white maiden living down on the fertile plains, named 
Gertrude Molyneaux. But the girl married a rival suitor of her own 
race, one Joseph Bundy. The alliance proved unhappy, however, and 
the young wife was tenderly reminded of what might have been had she 
cast her lot with the gallant and dusky warrior of the woods. In fact 
she finally transferred her affections and person to him. The Indians 
were much given to stealing cattle from their neighbors, the Dutch 
farmers, down on the plains. On returning from one of these forays, 
with Winnisook as rear guard, they were overtaken near this point in 
the Shandaken Yalley by a company of pursuing farmers under the 
lead of Joe Bundy. The latter, sighting the Indian giant, drew his 
trusty bead upon him and inflicted ?■ fat^l wound, remarking with 



. • Tl^e Catskill yAoUr\tairis. 43 

jealousy, to his comrades, " I think the best way to civilize the yellow 
serpent is to let daylight into his black heart.' The dying warrior took 
refuge in the hollow of a big pine tree near by, where he was afterwards 
found dead, standing upright, by his pursuers. Learning of the 
tragedy, his faithful widow, who had shared his wigwam for several 
years, came upon the scene with her dusky children of the woods. She 
fell upon the body in frantic grief, and spent the rest of her life near 
Winnisook's grave. The stump of this old tree was finally covered by 
a portion of the railway embankment. 

But the bell rings and you are off for the grand mountain climb. 
As the train curves out from the station you look out and up toward 
the sky on the right, and see a huge white building with a vast front 
and many towers. It is the "Grand Hotel," only two or three miles 
distant in a direct line, but five miles by rail. The engine snorts and 
groans convulsively, but you are moving steadily up Pine Hill, rising 
about 150 feet per mile. The back platform of the rear car is the place 
to view the lovely Shandaken Valley as it recedes from sight, and also 
the charming Pine Hill Valley on the right as you proceed. It is truly 
a facinating view. 

j^INE HILL is the next station reached. The train is not yet 
on the summit as will be seen, and the brakes must be very 
firmly applied to prevent its slipping back. Hundreds 
alight at this little station on the side-hill for the Pine Hill 
village section down in the narrow valley. This is one of 
the most picturesque and delightful villages in the moun- 
tains. Everybody is pleased with Pine Hill. The many 
buildings are pretty in design, and all are neatly painted. Many are 
added every year. There are numerous hotels and boarding houses, 
among the largest of which are the Guigou, Rip Van Winkle, Brewer- 
ton, Cornish and Hotel Ulster. The summer cottage of the late Rev. 
Dr. Howard Crosby, and many others of note, are situated in this 
locality, the first being on Birch Creek, one of the sources of the Esopus 
Creek. The village has a chatty weekly newspaper, churches, stores 
and all needed appliances and conveniences for a pleasant summer 
abode. 





44 TY\e Catskill AoUr^tairis. 

Again the brakes are released and the engine plunges boldly in for 
the final climb. It is only a mile to the Summit now, but there is 226 
feet to rise. The engineers have lain one and one-half miles of track 
on which to do it, and the train curves sharply around the arcs of a 
double horseshoe like a serpent, only with far more violent exertion. 

JRAND HOTEL STATION is finally reached, and you are at 
the summit of the Ulster & Delaware track, 1886 feet above 
the tidewater and forty-one miles from Rondout. The loco- 
motive heaves a deep sigh of relief because its hardest w^ork 
is over, and yet the run is only about half completed. This 
is a most important summer' station. The Grand Hotel is 
less than half a mile up the hill by the road, and still shorter 
by the path and stairs which lead straight to the house. It 
is the great hotel of this region, being by far the largest, and it is pala- 
tial in all its appointments — a favorite resort of fashion, wealth and 
comfort. Many leave the train here for this noted resort, and for 
others located on the pretty Belle Ayr mountain slope across the valley. 
The view of mountain and valley from the broad piazzas of the Grand 
is superb indeed. Standing on the line which divides the counties of 
Ulster and Delaware, the house being partly in each county, you get a 
magnificent panorama of high mountains and de^p valleys which is 
scarcely excelled except from the crest of the " Monka Hill " mountain 
just back of the hotel. There, after an easy climb, you are 2489 feet 
in the air. The view is wholly unobstructed on all sides and grand 
beyond description. Southward, in the sky, is old King Slide, only 
slightly overtopping its aspiring neighbors ; westward the farms and 
hamlets of Delaware, and far down under the projecting rocks on 
which you stand is the green primeval wooded and far extending val- 
ley, and there is beauty all around. Strange to say, this crest is a 
broad, open meadow where an airy race track could easily be made. 

Westward, on the Belle Ayr slope, are the Grampian and Belle 
Ayr resorts, also several entertaining cottages. It is, indeed, a charm- 
ing cottage locality of 1500 mountain acres, with an elevation of 1900 
to 2500 feet. " Highmount "' is the distin'^nve name of this slope and 



46 



Thie Catskill AoUr^tairis. 



a portion of that below the Grand Hotel, where the Rossmore Hotel 
and several attractive cottages will be seen. Persons of reputable char- 
acter may secure lots and erect cottages here. There are many interest- 
ing drives radiating from this airy summit, and numerous gamey and 
romantic brooks and creeks, all of which add zest and sport to the 
ordinarv attractions of summer mountain life. 

But the train now moves gently down the hill for the Delaware 
region, the land of the dairy, the gilt-edged butter, the high-blooded 
cows ; the home of the sugar-maple and its luscious and aromatic pro- 
ducts. A grand rail-toboggan slide it is. The brakes are firmly set 
and all steam is shut off. You slide smoothly, but crookedly, down 
370 feet. 



■jvmL^^ni^v^ 




^LEISCHMANN'S (Griffin's Corners) is at the bottom of this 
slide. The place was born in 1804, but it scarcely grew to 
\fs years of discretion until the railroad gave it nourishment, 
sixty-seven years later. Now it has many beautiful cottages, 
some of which belong to eminent men. Many of them are 
elaborate and costly, and give the place a trim and attrac- 
tive appearance. The Fleischmanns were the pioneer cot- 
tagers here. They did not, of course, invest a very large sum 
of money at first, as the two rough and stony farms which then covered 
most of the place were not held at very high figures. But they have 
since invested in the place heavily and shown great and commendable 
enterprise. This has attracted other men of means and liberal public 
spirit, which has now resulted in a most attractive collection of costly 
summer homes. 




RKVILLE four miles farther down the track, is another 
most important station. This is a great distributing 
centre: Margaretville, i^^ miles; Andes, 12; Shaver- 
town, 15 ; Downsville, 26, and Furlough Lake, 7 miles 
distant. The latter is owned by George J. Gould, who 
has erected a handsome rustic summer cottage on its 
margin, in which he will summer with his family. Alder 



■ ■ T\\e Catskill AoUritair\5. 47 

Lake, fourteen miles distant, is a new private game and fish preserve, 
which is owned by a club of Kingston City gentlemen, who bring their 
families here in summer. It contains about 560 acres of picturesque 
mountain land and a liberal supply of trout. 

You are now 1344 feet above tide, the lowest point reached by the 
railroad in Delaware County. The little stream near at hand is the 
celebrated trout water known as Dry Brook. There is also the liast 
Branch of the Delaware River here. These streams made the place 
conspicuous in history by causing a '"Pumpkin Freshet," which 
occurred soon after the close of the revolution. Coming in the f^ill, 
before the crops were gathered, the little town was inundated with 
pumpkins. Near the village several very attractive summer cottages 
have been built recently, many of them by artists of note, who seem to 
find special attraction here. Some of these may be seen on the left of 
the road to Margaretville, peering through the trees on the mountain 
slope. 

Margaretville is a delightful little village at the base of Mount 
Pakatakan, one mile below the confluence of Dry Brook and Delaware, 
East Branch, partly covering the ancient site of the Tuscarora Indian 
headquarters. Its rural scenic environment is charming, as is attested 
by the numerous studios dotted here and there. There are churches, 
stores, public water works, a weekly newspaper, a fair ground and race 
track, and several hotels, including the noted and popular Ackerly 
House, all within fifteen or twenty minutes' drive from the cars at Ark- 
ville. On leaving this station the train ascends again gradually, turn- 
ing sharply to the right and running along the East Branch in a general 
northeasterly direction, through a very pretty glade devoted mainly to 
dairying. In connection with Arkville, however, mention might be 
made of an artificial cave near there, which is always an object of 
interest to visitors. Its inner walls are rudely carved with strange hiero- 
glyphics. 



45 



T\\e Catskill /AoUntairiS. 




loXBURY is the next important Delaware Station. It is 
^'-WQ^^: eleven miles beyond Arkville, and the train has now sped 
JL ^^M rapidly over the comparatively level track where the East 
^^^^ Branch, like a limpid thread of silver, winds in and out, 
tempting one to cast an alluring hook for the wary prince 
of mountain "findom." You have halted briefly at 

KELLY'S CORNERS and HALCOTTVILLE on 
the way, neither of which is as yet prominent as a summer locality, 
though the latter is beginning to attract visitors. Roxbury is the scene 
of Jay Gould's early boyhood. It is not far from the source of the east 
branch of the Delaware River. The settlement is now over a hundred 
years old, and it is rapidly growing in favor with summer visitors. It 
has churches, schools, stores and factories, and is somewhat noted for 
its large product of maple sugar, also butter and cheese. Many a fam- 
ily vacation is quietly and most enjoyably spent here. A weekly news- 
paper is printed in the hamlet, and there are a hundred other attractions 
in and about the quaint old strip of houses and its pleasant environment 
which are better enjoyed than to read of here. 

^RAND GORGE is next, and six miles farther up the track. 
This brings you to the end of this northeasterly course. 
The train has been ascending gradually as it sped along 
through this lovely valley section, and is now 1570 feet 
above tide. The hamlet itself, formerly known as " Mores- 
ville, " is less than a mile away in the valley, and is afterward 
visible from the car window, very prettily located. It was 
named after John More, the first white settler who camped 
here in 1786. The approach to the station is rugged and beautiful, as 
you will have already noticed. Stages are taken here for Gilboa and 
Prattsville, three and six miles distant. Both are well known summer 
regions, and many always leave the train here for one of these three 
popular localities, which seemed almost a hundred miles from the river 
in the days of staging. The Delaware summit of the railroad is reached 
at 

SOUTH GILBOA after another ^: v-'^iile run. This is only forty- 





• ■ Tf\e Catskill AoUqtaiqs. 49 

one feet lower than the Pine Hill summit in Ulster County. But the 
location is such, and the train has approached it so gradually, that you 
will scarcely realizeit. There are several quiet boarding places in the 
vicinity of this station, and there is also a lake with boating facilities. 



^TAMFORD is next, after a rapid run of three miles on a 
slight descent. This is the prettiest and most charming vil- 
lage in the Catskills. It is seventy-four miles by rail from 
the river, and 1767 feet above it. The early settlers were 
from Stamford, Conn., after which this place was named, 
about a hundred years ago. The situation in the lovely 
open valley at the head-waters of the Delaware River, on the 
western border of the Catskills, with lofty mountain crags rising 
abruptly and grandly almost from the village streets, is most delightful. 
Nature has bestowed liberally here, and man may well admire and 
appreciate. For a summer mountain home with all the requisites — the 
best air, the best water, the best scenery, the best drives, and the most 
wholesome and pleasing moral atmosphere — it will be hard to equal 
Stamford, Mount Utsayantha towers 3203 feet in the air near the vil- 
lage, the sightly crest being reached by a short drive up the slope over 
a good road. From the tower on this mountain the eye rests upon 
one of the most magnificent panoramas to be found anywhere, cover- 
ing an area of 20,000 square miles, and embracing twenty-eight promi- 
nent peaks in the Catskill range. Mount Churchill, a sister peak near 
by, will also be surmounted by a tower, to which a road is promised. 
Utsayantha is an Indian name, in connection with which forest tradi- 
tion contains the details of a sad tragedy in which a beautiful Indian 
maiden, her babe and her white husband lost their lives. 

West of Stamford begin the little streams which braid into the great 
Susquehanna later. One mile east is Bear Creek, which empties into 
the Schoharie. Thus within a half hour's drive one may drink from 
the head-waters of the three great rivers. One hundred years ago a 
battle between the citizen soldiery and the Indians and Tories was 
fought on the present village site, which then contained only two houses. 



• ■ Tl\e Catskill AoUritair^S. 51 

Not until 1872 was Stamford thought of by summer visitors. 
Then, in August, two Brooklyn gentlemen with their wives drove over 
from Prattsville and sauntered into the Seminary then in charge of Dr. 
S. E. Churchill. Being delighted with the locality they remained a 
week or more, finding board after considerable difficulty. The follow- 
ing summer they prevailed upon Dr. Churchill to open his house to 
summer guests, and about twenty such were entertained there. Frcm 
that time to this the business has steadily increased. 

In addition to this there are numerous very attractive private cot- 
tages scattered all through the village, and it would seem difficult to 
find a more charming region for summer cottage life. The village has 
five thriving churches, a union free school, water works, electric lights, 
a national bank, numerous stores, a public library, and two of the best 
country weekly newspapers in the State. Near the village is " Eagle's 
Nest," the home of the late " Ned Buntline, '' the story writer. This is 
on the site of one of the oldest houses in the place. 



"^OBART is four miles farther down the Delaware River. 
The run from Stamford to Hobart along the crooked 
river is full of interest. The stream bends so often and 
so abruptly that it is siid, standing at a certain point, 
one can shoot an arrow that will cross it four times. 
Hobart is a pretty little village with a history antedating 
the Revolution. The old name was " Waterville," there 
being a fine falls and water-power there. The present name was finally 
settled upon at the suggestion of Rev. Philander Chase, the old church 
rector, and subsequently Bishop of Ohio. There are several churches 
and numerous pleasant hotels and boarding houses, and the number of 
summer visitors is rapidly increasing each season. It is seventy-eight 
miles from Rondout and 16 14 feet above it. 

The running of parlor cars through to this point proved a great 
convenience to Delaware visitors. From Philadelphia and New York 
to Stamford and Hobart without change, in a luxurious railway coach, 
was, indeed, a very gratifying feature to many travelers. 




52 



TY\e Catskill AoUritains. 



SOUTH KORTRIGHT is the next station, four miles down the 
river. This town was settled at an early period by sturdy Scotch and 
Irish people, who had their full share of Indian depredations and trou- 
bles. The little hamlet is not devoid of interest, but has been patiently 
awaiting the advent of the railroad. It is the center of a rich dairy 
district, and promises to become popular with summer visitors. 

BLOOMVILLE, about five miles farther down the crooked stream, 
is the end of this charming inland railway journey. It is about eight 
miles from Delhi, which may be reached by stage after an interesting 
drive, and it is a thriving little dairy village in a pretty locality. 




Tb^e Catskill AoUritairis. 53 



T^he Dappow^ Guage 3ivision. 



Through the Stony Clove and Over the Kaater- 
SKiLL Railroads. 



THE Stony Clove Notch has long been regarded as one of the 
great scenic attractions of the Catskills. It is one of the 
wildest and most beautiful mountain passes on the continent, and a 
page might well be devoted in the effort to describe it. But for this 
great cleavage of the towering crags the old Green County section of 
the mountains could never have developed into the very popular and 
populous summer region that it is to-day, simply because of its com- 
parative inaccessibility. Of course "Old Rip'" never dreamed of a 
railroad through "The Notch," but he was not liberally endowed with 
a prophetic and lively imagination. The railway was built about ten 
years ago, and its daily trains have been kept pretty busy ever since. 
This Stony Clove road and the subsequent construction of the Kaaters- 
kill, with which it connects, completed the all-rail circuit of the range, 
and to-day this is the only comfortable and rapid route to this section 
of the Catskills. 

Beginning on the Ulster & Delaware line at Phoenicia, the Stony 
Clove road winds through the famous gorge a little over fourteen miles 
and terminates at Hunter. The track is narrow gauge and crooked, 
vertically as well as laterally. Much of the grade is heavy, reaching 
187 feet per mile at one point. The summit of the track in the Noch 
is 2071 feet above tide, and to reach it the engines must climb 1273 
feet in ten miles, but the lusty little locomotives accomplish it at a fair 
rate of speed. It is a charming ride amid the va-'ied beauties of this 
primeval bit of Nature. 




)[)e I'^icf uresque ^tony o'ove. 



: • Tl^e Catskill AoUr^tairis. 55 

CHICHESTER'S is the first stop, a great chair manufacturing 
region with a collection of small dwellings down in the valley. The 
place was named after the Chichester family, which originally came 
-from Wales. 

LANESVILLE is next, and it is a favorite boarding section with 
many who seek to avoid the crowd. There are several modest and 
comfortable resorts open to visitors. 

EDGEVVOOD is the next station, eight miles from the start. 
Here is another noisy chair stock factory, with a few private boarding 
houses near at hand. Until this station is reached the track lies along 
the eastern slope of the deep valley. Far below, running beside and 
across the winding old wagon road, flows the Stony Clove Creek, with 
its cascades and mills here and there, and a little church, a school or a 
cottage at intervals along its banks. On either side are towering 
mountains with craggy crests far up in the sky. 

Looking back from the train you see nothing but mountains, and 
you can neither discern nor imagine where you came through. A 
charming variety of wild flowers, ferns, trailing vines and shrubbery 
fringe the wayside, and fill the air with wildwood fragrance. Indeed, 
this whole mountain region abounds with interest to the lover of plants 
and wild flowers. The mountain laurel {kaJmia latifolia) is quite at 
home here, and may be found in abundance and in great beauty, 
nearly all summer in bloom, at first in the valleys and on the lower 
slopes and later on the mountain tops. Then there are clematis, ferns, 
honeysuckles, eupatorium, saracenias, Indian pipe, daisies and an 
endless variety of other species of plants. 

Pulling out and up from Edgewood the valley becomes very 
narrow. This is the "Notch," and there is scant space in the bottom 
for the track and the wagon road. Indeed, the old rocky, rooty road 
has never yet become quite reconciled to the iron rails there, and it will 
be seen to dispute their right of way vigorously for a short distance. 
For a thousand feet and more on each side of the train the hills go up 
almost vertically, and you must look straight up to see the narrow strip 
of sky between. It is cold here and the wraps and overcoats are 
always needed. The engineer pulls the whistle and rings his bell, and 



56 



Tl^e Catskill Aouritairis. 



you listen to the echoes, which seem never-ending. A gradual descent 
of two miles now brings you to 

KAATERSKILL JUNCTION. Then another two miles on a 
sharp curve to the left is the famous old village of 



.4-N%^.^^<^ iV ^ ^^'"'^'^ A-^'^NZ-^iT- 




\ke ^TSKJLi^ 



HUNTER. This is the northern terminus of the Stony Clove rail, 
and an extremely popular summer region. It is a pretty mountain 
village, with many picturesque attractions. There are several large 
and attractive hotels. Nearly 2000 visitors can be entertained in this 
locality, and about as many more at Le.xington, Hensonville, Wind- 
ham and Jewett Heights, which are reached by stage from this point. 
There are churches, factories, stores and a weekly newspaper. The 
famous mountain peaks, " Colonefs Chair" and Hunter Mountain, 
the second highest in the range — the former 3165 feet, the latter 4038 
feet above the tide — are just across the Schoharie Creek, which flows 
through the village. Either may be reached by a good mountain path. 
There are many charming drives over good roads, and innumerable 
romantic paths which radiate from Hunter. 

But returning to Kaaterskill Junction, let us take the little mount- 
ain train on that road for about eight miles, and glance briefly at 
Tannersville, Haines' Corners, Laurel House, Kaaterskill and the old 
Catskill Mountain House. These are all historic summer boarding 



Tl^e Catskill AoUr\tairis. 57 

sections, concerning which all other Catskill guide-books have spoken 
in detail, contenting themselves with only a few brief statements regard- 
ing the various other portions of the range. The railway makes all 
these places easily accessible, and brings many thousands to and fro 
every summer. 

TANNERSVILLE is the first stop on the Kaaterskill Railroad, and 
it is one of the livelist stations in the mountains, This is among the 
oldest and most popular summer boarding sections in the range, and 
is still increasing in favor, especially with cottagers. Over 2000 
visitors (fkn be entertained here at once by the numerous houses, and 
there are also hundreds of cottage residents. Various social and other 
clubs and associations have been attracted here of late years, having 
purchased large tracts of mountain land, which are being coverted into 
parks with fine roads and numerous handsome summer dwellings. 
The Elka Park Association is among the newest of these, and is com- 
posed of New York Liederkranz members and other leaders in German 
mercantile and social circles in New York. Several hundred acres of 
the Spruce Top slope is owned by the club, near the source of the 
Schoharie and about two miles from the Tannersville Station. A large 
club house and several attractive cottages have already been built, 
several new cottages having been erected since last season. 

The Onteora Park, directly across the valley north of the station, 
about one and a half miles distant, is also a most attractive mountain 
preserve. It is on a commanding height, from which a beautiful view 
is obtained. The "Bear and Fox Inn" is the general clab house, and 
there are many picturesque private cottages owned by leading persons 
of wealth. 

Tannersville is also well supplied with hotels, the largest of which 
being "Roggen's," "Mulford," " Blythewood," "Cold Spring 
House," "The Oriental," "The La Villa," "The Arlington" and 
"The Wamsley." But there are a host of others all about, and the 
pretty slopes are dotted here and there by the cottages of prominent 
New York people, who abide here with their families nearly five 
months in the year, and journey to and from business— only four hours 



55 



Tl^e Catskill Aountairis. 



by rail. There is a small lake and a new driving park which may be 
mentioned amona: the added attractions. 




ELKA PARK CI.UB HOUSE. 



HAINES' CORNERS is the next station where the train pulls up. 
It is another favorite old summer region. You are now at the noted 
Haines' Falls, at the head of the famous Kaaterskill Clove, and at a 
general elevation of about 2500 feet above the river. For beauty of 
situation this place is unexcelled. The view down the great canon to 
the Hudson River is grand beyond description, and the surrounding 
region is full of natural charm. There is a full quota of hotels and 
boarding houses, with many private cottages, and the place is always 
full of social life. Haines' Falls makes a beautiful cataract 160 feet in 
height, and it forms a conspicuous object in the landscape of that 
region, as seen from distant points. "Twilight Park" is located near 
at hand on a most enchanting slope, from which Mount Lincoln 
towers grandly skyward 5664 feet. This is an outgrowth from the 
New York Twilight Club and under its control. The objects are 
summer rest for families, with grass for carpet, moss for rugs, home with- 
out housekeeping cares, no fashion, no Mrs. Grundv. There are two 



Tl^e Catskill AoUritairis. 



59 



large and unique club houses and over thirty most attractive cottages, 
with a fine system of roads. The Park is in full view from the train as 
it leaves Haines' Corners, and it appears in handsome contrast with 
the unrivaled natural charms of the mountain setting. Several attrac- 
tive cottages have been built since last season and others are projected. 
A summer home in Twilight Park means solid, rustic comfort. 

Now as the train moves onward the traveler will need to be alert 
in order to catch even a glimpse of the many objects of interest along 
the wav. 








CLUB HOUSE, TWILIGHT PARK. 



LAUREL HOUSE Station is only 
two miles beyond ; but just before reach- 
ing it, through the trees on the right, 
will be seen the far-famed and beautiful 
Kaaterskill Falls, which has inspired the pens and brushes of 
authors and artists for a century and more, and Continues to enchant 
every visitor. The new-old Laurel House stands at the head of 
this beautiful gorge intp which the silvery sheen of sparkling water 
tumbles hundreds of feet over a solid amphitheatre of shelving rock. 



60 Tl^e Catskill AoUntairis. 

It is the second oldest resort in the range, with more than fifty years of 
hallowed associations. But the genial old landlord sleeps, and new 
faces now bestow the greeting smile. The house is only a few rods 
from the station, large and well appointed. Steps lead from it down 
to the bottom of the magnificent gorge, where one can stand under the 
projecting rocks and behind the falhng water, and be enraptured with 
the beauty and novelty of the scene. But the return climb is suf- 
ficiently arduous to restore proper tranquility, and needs good lungs 
and strength. 

The final mile of this road brings us to the eastern end of the 
mountain railway system, the terminus being known as 

KAATERSKILL STATION— This is less than a mile from the 
eastern or river face of the Catskill range. You have thus made a cir- 
cuit of the mountains by rail, amid the most varied and beautiful scen- 
ery, reaching at this station the highest elevation attained by any rail- 
road in New York State, viz., 2145 feet above tide. 

Another culminating feature of even greater importance presented 
here is the largest mountain hotel in the range or in the world — the 
Hotel Kaaterskill. 

From the margin of the beautiful Kaaterskill Lake on which the 
little station stands, carriages make prompt and speedy connection 
with the brilliant resort which looms up boldly from the forest on the 
mountain, half a mile upward. The roads are excellent and the walk 
is short and delightful. The entire mountain has been transformed 
into a park, with twenty miles of charming drives and wild paths 
without end. 

And finally, here also, less than half a mile by a lovely road that 
fringes and passes between Kaaterskill and North Lakes, the famous 
old Catskill Mountain House at "Pine Orchard," is reached. This 
grand old landmark and pioneer summer mountain hotel now opens 
for its seventv-first consecutive season. 










OBSERVATORY— TOP OF SLIDE MOUNTAIN. 



'T^e Catskill AoUritairis. 63 



The Gpeat Slide l^ountain. 

THIS crowning crag of the Catskills is the grandest and most 
interesting of the entire group, and it well deserves all the 
mcrease4 public notice which the past year or two has brought. It is 
directly south from Shandaken, about seven and a half miles air line. 
The proper place to leave the train for this mountain, however, is Big 
Indian. From this station the distance to its airy crest by carriage 
road and foot-path is about ten and a half miles. Eight miles of the 
way is a fair mountain road through the picturesque Big Indian Val- 
ley, and across the dividing ridge to the west branch of the Never- 
sink. 

Here from the base of the mountain an easy and most interesting 
trail leads one to the summit. There are other routes of approach, 
but this is the shortest, easiest and best. A favorite plan with many is 
to stop at "Butcher's" Panther Mountain House for the night, five 
miles from Big Indian ; then, in the morning, drive to the base of the 
mountain, about ninety minutes, thence on foot to the top, ninety 
minutes more, unless one spends too much time in admiration and 
investigation on the way. Those in need of a guide on this trip will 
find in J. W. Dutcher much information and assistance. He is a noted 
character in that region, who has assumed a quasi proprietorship of 
this monarch of the Catskills — a sort of lessee of Nature, as it were 
— having blazed an excellent path to the summit and erected an observ- 
atory there. Some choose to spend the night on this summit, which 
is indeed a decision fraught with varied possibilities, for which ample 
preparation in advance is peculiarly judicious. But the sublime exper- 
ience fully warrants the risk of encountering the terrible atmospheric 
conflicts that at times culminate there. Plenty of food and an abund- 
ance of warm clothing and blankets should be provided A convenient 
ledge of rocks will be found, under which a small party can secure shelter. 



64 Thie Catskili AoUqtains. 

The view from this mountain transcends that of any other in the 
range, it being nearly 200 feet above the highest. Here the lordly 
Hudson, like a broad silver ribbon, with an occasional fold hidden 
from view, is seen for about fifty miles, extending from the gate of the 
Highlands to near Hudson. The cities of Po'keepsie and Kingston, 
and numerous villages in New York and Connecticut are in sight. 
The Housatonic River also shimmers faintly far to the east, and por- 
tions of six different States can be identified. In the sublime sweep of 
vision from the observatory are streams, lakes, valleys, farms, factories," 
church spires, railroads and mountains piled on mountains. To greet 
the rising sun from this crest on a clear morning, and watch again as it 
sinks over the rugged rim of mountains away to the west, is an exper- 
ience that no description can portray or anticipate. A recent visitor 
was delighted with a most novel effect presented by the receding sun 
there on a remarkably clear afternoon. He says the huge lengthening 
shadow of the giant mountain, as it reached out toward the river, 
finally extended over the city of Kingston, and he plainly saw the whole 
city lying in the gloom of Slide Mountain. This is twelve or fourteen 
miles away through the air, and it is thus evident that the familiar 
characterization of Kingston as being "in the shadow of the Catskills," 
is not merely figurative, but real. 

A large portion of this mountain, including the crest, belongs to 
the State. The spruce trees on and near the top are very thickly 
branched, so that one can recline upon their tops with ease. An 
excellent spring of water has been found near the crest. The slide, 
from which the mountain is named, is alluded to elsewhere in this 
book. 

While at the beginning of the ascending path at the western base 
of Slide, might well have been noted the "Winnisook Lodge." This 
is a woodland preserve owned by a club of prominent citizens of 
Kingston City. The spot is wildly picturesque, and is a delightful 
place to spend the summer. About two miles beyond this, on the 
west branch of the Neversink, is the State Deer Park, which covers a 
portion of the 80,000 acres of State domain in the Catskills. It con- 
tains a fine herd of deer, and some other wild animals. 



)TmE C@i1^ECT 



ARKVILLE. — Daily, except Sunday, throughout the year: For 

Margaretville, 2 miles, fare 15 cts. ; Clark's Factory, 6 miles, 
fare 50 cts.; Andes, 12 miles, fare $r.oo. ; Delhi, 26 miles, 
fare $1.75. 

Daily, except Sunday, throughout the year: For Lumber- 
ville, 8 miles, fare 5c cts.; Union Grove, 12 miles, fare 75 
cts.: Shavertown, 15 miles. Fare $1.00; Pepacton, 19 miles, 
fare $1.25; Downsville, 26 miles, fare $1.50. 

BIG INDIAN. — Daily, except Sunday, during summer months 
only: For Oliverea, 23.4 miles, fare 25 cts.; Slide Mountain 
P. O., 5 miles, fare 50 cts. ; Winnisook Lodge, S)4 miles, fare 
75 cts. ; Branch, 12 miles, fare $1.00; Frost Valley, 15 miles, 
fare $i.co ; Claryville, 22 miles, fare $1.25. 

BLOOMVILLE.^Daily, except Sunday, throughout the year : 
For Delhi, 8 miles, fare 75 cts. 

GRAND GORGE. — ^Daily, except Sunday, throughout the year : 
For Prattsville, 6 miles, fare 50 cts. ; Gilboa, 4j4 miles, fare 40 
cts. 

HUNTER. — For Lexington, 9 miles, fare 75 cts. ; Hensonville, 7 
miles, fare 75 cts. ; Windham, 9 miles, fare $1.00. 

SHANDAKEN. — Daily, except Sunday, throughout the year : For 
Bushnellville, 3 miles, fare 35 cts. ; Westkill, 7 miles, fare 75 
cts. ; Lexington, 11 miles, fare $i.co. 

STAMFORD. — Daily, except Sunday, throughout the year ; For 
Harpersfield Centre, 4^ miles, fare 50 cents. ; Davenport, 14 
miles, fare $1.00 ; Oneonta, 27 miles, fare $2.00. 

Daily, except Sunday, throughout the year : For Jefferson, 7 
miles, fare 75 cts. ; Summit, Schoharie County, 14 miles, fare 
$1.25 ; Richmondville, 18 miles, fare $1.50. 

WEST HURLEY. — During the Summer months only : For 
Mead's Mountain House, 8 miles, fare $1.00; Overlook Moun- 
tain House, 9 miles, fare $1.50. 

Daily, except Sunday, throughout the year : For Woodstock, 5 
miles, fare 50 cts. ; Bearsville, 7 miles, fare 60 cts. ; Lake Hill,. 
10 miles, fare 75 cents. 



T\\e Catskill AoUritair^s. 67 



About 3pook Tpout. 

" Sing sweet, O birds o' April ! Sing sweet o'er hill and plain 
While the wonderin' world is tangled in the sunlight an' the rain ! 
We ain't a pesterin' any one, jes' livin' at our ease, 
A-huntin' when we want to, an' fishin' when we please ! " 

THE speckled brook trout is a princely member of the finny 
realm. It dwells only in clear, running, crystal water. The 
coolest, purest and best is never too good for trout ; and to find these 
elements is a part of its instinct. These high conditions of habitat 
rarely exist in combination more happily than is found in the Catskills. 
The mountains and valleys are profusely threaded with these lovely 
brooks, and it is an ideal region for trout, as thousands of enthusiastic 
fishermen will bear graphic testimony. There is ample trout water 
abounding with fish where the angler may cast his fly without molesta- 
tion, and with such success as his knowledge, skill and patience may 
warrant. This is especially true of the Ulster & Delaware section of 
the mountains, which has long been noted for its excellent fishing. 
Who has not heard of the Neversink trout streams, Biscuit Brook, the 
head of the Rondout, the east and west branches of the Delaware, the 
Beaverkill, Dry Brook, Bushkill, Watson Hollow Brook, Emory Brook, 
Stony Clove Creek, Mink Hollow Brook, Esopus Creek and scores of 
other finny streams which entice so many anglers here every year.? At 
the opening of the trout season the Ulster & Delaware trains are loaded 
with fishermen, rods, bait and all manner of paraphernalia known to 
modern piscatorial art. Plenty of small hotels are to be found where 
good food and comfortable beds can be had, unless one prefers to camp 
along the streams. In that case a good tight tent with proper fittings is 
needed, also plenty of warm clothing and blankets, for the mountain 
rains at this season are frequent and exceedingly wet. Of course this 
camping method implies an abundance of plain, substantial food in the 
hampers, unless the angler is content with trout, which, when cooked and 



65 Thie Catskill AoUritains. 

served in the woods fresh from the stream, is food for a king. The flesh 
of this fish is ver_v delicate, and it cannot well be preserved for any length 
of time after ihe fish is killed. Successful trout fishing is the acme of the 
angler's ambition. No bungling fisherman can catch the speckled 
brook trout. The fish is keen-witted and gamey, and can only be 
captured bv preliminary deception and subsequent battle, with the odds 
all against the finny combata-nt. If the boys who have grown up along 
these streams at times surprise and disgust the theoretical city fisher- 
man by catching more trout than he does, with all his most approved 
and complicated outfit, it is simply because the boy knows better how- 
to fish. He is familiar with the habits of trout, knows how to deceive 
them with the least fuss and commotion, and never gets excited. Thus 
it will often be easier for the man with gorgeous scientific outfit to buy 
fish of the barefooted mountain lad than to catch them, even though 
he may have come hundreds of miles to enjoy the sport of landing the 
fish by his own skill and devices. And yet the eflfort to do this is not 
devoid of sport, and is sure to be full of exercise. Many will recall 
the following fish story of Washington Irving : 

"I recollect that after toiling and watching and creeping about 
for the greater part of a day, with scarcely any success, in spite of all 
our admirable apparatus, a lubberly country urchin came down from 
the hills with a rod made from the branch of a tree, a few yards of 
twine, and, as heaven shall help me, I believe a crooked pin for a 
hook, baited with a vile earth-worm, and in half an hour caught more 
fish. than we had nibbles throughout the day." Many an amateur can 
relate a similar experience. It is therefore unjust to condemn a stream 
and say there is no trout in it, simply because a bungling fisherman 
cannot catch any there. Trout are supremely happy in very little 
water, and big beauties love to disport in tiny brooklets, where by the 
displacement of their own bodies there is often barely room to float. 
They lurk in rocky, pebbly bottoms, and are well at home among 
mossy roots and margins. If a ray of sunlight filters through the 
over-hanging foliage and strikes some quiet pool, Mr. Speckle darts 
eagerly for it in the hope of securing some choice winged morsel, or 
basking in the sunlight. 



THE ULSTER k Wmm 1 1 

Has the Best and Most Complete Service 

T© THE Ci^TSEILLSo 



AATD /S THE OXLY LIXE RUNXIXG 



J< >l< )|< Tt^roUgf) Cars 

From PV yORK and PHILPELFH1(1 

Without Change. 



Two Solid Fast Trains 

Daily (except Sunday) from New York, via West Shore Railroad, with Buffet 
Drawing-Room Service. 

A Special Week-Day Train, 

With Urawing-Room Service, connecting with Steamers of the Hudson River Day 
Line and N. Y. C. & H. R. R. 

A Morning Train 

Every day, connecting with Night Boats of Romer & Tremper Line, and Steamer 
Mary Powell. 

A Special Half-Holiday Train, 

Via West Shore Railroad, without change, leaving New York every Saturday at 

1. 15 P.M. 

A Special Saturday Night Train, 

Leaving Rondout on arrival of Steamer W. F. Romer, which leaves New YorJv at 
one o'clock p.m. 

ALSO CLOSE CONNECTION WITH FAST TRAINS ON THE 
N. Y. C. & H. R. R. R. 



The only THROUGH SLEEPING CAR SERVICE with- 
out change to New York, every Sunday Night. 



SEASON OF 1894 OPENS JUNE 30TH. 

TRANSIENT RATE, $4.50 PER DAY. 

The New Grand Hotel 

Sc ic CORINIELL, ll/^M/^<^EK. 
SUMMIT MOUNTAIN P.O., N. Y. 

Eh'7'atin)!, 2joo Feet. Pure Sprina; IVater. No Foos. Perfect Serverage. Pure, 
Dry Air. A'o Malaria. No Mosquitoes. 

FOUR AND ONE-HALF HOURS FROM NEW YORK. 

Only Hotel on Mountain Top Reached by Broad Guage Railroad 
Direct to Grounds. No Transfers. 

Spj^EMPERATURE even and from x--," to 20" cooler than in New York or Philadel- 
IMIk Phia. Resident Ph\-sician and Pharmacy in Hotel ; also Post-Oflfice, Telegraph 
^!^ Office, News Stands,' etc. Three Concerts daily. The Hotel has a frontage of 675 
feet ; broad piazzas extend along front of main building. Only hotel on mountain top 
with direct access by rail. Parlor Cars direct to Hotel Grounds from New York or 
Philadelphia without chantje. 




"NEW GRAND" FROM HORSE-SHOE CURVE. 

^Ttc (5veatcst ntwXWx ^Icsovt in the ©atsTiitls. 

The Most Popular Hotel in this Famous and Delightful Region. 

Excellent Trout Fishing, Beautiful Drives and Walks. 

Personal applications may be made in New York to Mr. S. J. CORNELL, or Mr. 
H. J. Pe.^rson, at Hotel Marlborough, Broadway and 36th Street, and after 
June 30th to Summit Mt. P. O., Ulster Co., N. Y. 

OPEN UNTIL LATE IN SEPTEMBER. 

J. & S. J. CORNELL, Proprietors. 



This Mantel Top for only $18.00. INIade in oak, only. Draperies for summer cottages, 
carpets, mattings, shades, portiers. White iron beds. Furnishing of summer homes a 
specialty. Please call and see our stock. No catalogue issued. 

Hudson River Furniture Company. 







TiMKiKiEf! nm. 



^T^HIS HOUSE is pleasantly located just out of the corporate limits of Stamford, five 
■*• minutes' walk from store, depot, churches, telegraph ofttce, etc. Enlarged and 
furnished during the past season, and has good accommodations for 75 guests. Cool, airy 
rooms, (several connected,) fan lights over doors, long, broad piazza, ito piazzas in front of 
sleeping rooms, thereby giving you the full privacy of your room. Well warmed in damp 
or chilly weather. The table will be well supplied and neatly served with the best of 
meats, fish, chickens, the freshest of eggs, the best of Alderney butter, and all the pure,* 
rich milk you wish at any time. Hoating, fishing, croquet, tennis and piano. Two New 
York mails per day ; your mail delivered to you a few minutes after train arrives. A 
beautiful pine and spruce grove of 20 acres, fulfof pleasant walks, many banks and shady 
dells, within two minutes' walk of the House, which is considered very' beneficial for par- 
ties suffering with lung troubles. Trunks 25 cents. 

West Shore Railroad to Kingston ; New York Central & Hudson River Railroad and 
New York and Albany boats to Rhinebeck ; Ferry to Rondout, and Ulster & Delaware 
Railroad to Stamford. ' No charge for conve>'ance of guests. 

For terms, etc., write to 

J. W. TANNER, Proprietor. 



-!fc^ AOUNT UTSAYANTHA«^#- 

STAMFORD. N. Y. 
The Culminating Peak of the Western Catskiils. 

Most widely extended view in the range. 
Only two and a half miles from railroad station. 

Good carriage road with easy grade to the summit. 
New tower with sides enclosed and outlook surrounded by glass. 

This new tower is over 50 feet high, and has been erected by the Utsayantha Mountain 
Club to provide the best possible facilities for this magnificent outlook. The high eleva- 
tion of Utsayantha Observatory, 3365 feet above tide-water, and its admirable situation in 
the range, affords an unobstructed view in every direction. From it twenty-eight peaks 
of the Catskiils, the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts, the Green Mountains of Vermont 
and the Adirondacks are plainly visible. 

Mr. Walton VanLoan who is an authority on the high mountain peaks, says the 
prospect from this peak embraces 20,000 square miles, and is the most comprehensive view 
of any peak in the Catskill range. 

Excursion tickets, good until November ist, can be obtained from all points on the 
U. & D. R. R. Conveyances will always be in readiness to convey visitors to the summit. 
Meals and entertainment furnished for those desiring to remain over night to witness a 
glorious sunset and sunrise. For information address, 

J. HAMILTON, Secretary, 

cT'.^.T^^r.r. r. , ^ U TS/V Y A NTH A M O U NT A I N C LU B, 

STAMFORD, Delaware County, N. V. 



ilQ Wmm mh CLi^lT¥ILLE ST/^QE 

LIIME. 

Parties taken to any part of the Big Indian and Never- 
sink Valleys. Stage leaves Big Indian daily on arrival of 
the morning trains. Livery meets all trains. First-class 
single and double rigs for fishing and hunting parties. Par- 
ties visiting Slide Mountain furnished with conveyance at 
short notice and reasonable rates. 

Big Indian, N. Y. W. ATKINS, Prop. 



" ' PHL^CE HOTC 



A A 



-:• Formerly LaMenfs Hotel. .;- 



OPEN THE YEAR AROUND. 



A BEAUTIFUL Summer Home, delightfully situated in the midst of the (Jatskill 
Mountains, at the entrance of the famous Echo Notch, on the Ulster & Delaware 
Railroad, 33 miles west of the Hudson River. Within five minutes' walk of the depot, 
and about four and a half hours by rail from New York City. 

Parlor Cars, via West Shore Railroad, direct to Shandaken without change. Eleva- 
tion, 1 100 feet. Hotel carriages meet all trains. 

Palace Hotel (formerly Lament House) has been thoroughly renovated and 
refurnished under the new management this season, and has ample accommodations for 
150 guests. The Hotel is lighted by gas and heated by steam, has Electric Bells, Baths, 
Toilet Rooms, Etc. 

New Bowling Alley — containing four beds, 

Lawns for Archery and Croquet, 

Tenuis Court, Etc. 

Shandaken is central for all the principal hotels and places of interest in the 
Catskills, and excursions may be made to any of them either by rail or carriage, returning 
the same day. A ride of six miles up the Bushnellville Valley brings one to the beautiful 
lake and ice caves in Echo Notch. Good livery and saddle horses connected with the 
Hotel. 

Music for Dancing in the evening. Pure mountain spring water, by natural force, on 
every floor. Good trout fishing in the immediate vicinity. First-class city reference 
given at any time. 

Descriptive circular and diagram of rooms sent on application. For terms and 
c>ther information, address or call on 



W. N. FITCHETT, Manager, 

SHANDAKEN, N. Y, 

Formerly of ORIENT POINT HOTEL, Orient, L. I. 

7A 



3ja(|;,alitel!|I|iiiEi\teli(|^^^ 



.^•w"- ■s'^ -"f^^^^^Ki^f. jj=._ 



pl|oeiiU'id,nist.T(s.) I]Y 




'HE "Tr^mper Hous?, ' b\ C T 
. y(iN?s, of Elberon, N I , is situ- 
ated at PhoeniLia, Ulster C o , N N , 
m the heart of the famous CatskiU 
Mountains Its unsurpassed situ- 
ation for health con\ enience ot ac- 
cess, (bem? onlv 27 miles fiom the 
Hudson Ri\ er),hne air, PURE spring 
w A rER, perfect drainage, central 
location and nearness to all points 
„t beaut^ and interest in the mountains, need no 
Introduction to those who have visited the Cats- 

'"'^^he Hotel is modern thioughout, and is 

-unit n a iiaturalblu^^. "tone-quarter of a mil^^ 

ro.d Station, and is 1560 teet ^boNeUde water being at ^^^^^^^^ 

ot the btonv Clo%e, from whose inmost recesses ^n ^^^^ 

s«PPlv of cool air continuallv niakes he l^'^^^^t[o% .parkling 

Z b^httul and invigorating A STREAM OF w ATf « Pl*^^^^,/^*?,'?;' nue.H THE Holse \nd 

"^^Cott\teTorthe° gr^und'adjCrning the Hotel will be rented to families on reasonable 
^^"^;,tuse;^n^^l^^^- c^lMuSrd^'tling, lawn tenni. cr^et and base ball ; 

boat^nTlfuS^and fishing, «[-;-^'^-,\-J^l-:^;L%1; ^nlSe^rvision of the Hotel 
I iverv— In connection with the Hotel, unaei '^"^ J;'; , ,„n5n-todatons for private 

™idToi^es.^i^n\^m^ero!Ta^^^^^^ academy, with a com- 

TeleK^aster,. nil be an additional attrac^^^^ 



■^" DailVdirect communication witnoui ';"^"S'=,J^V'-;' Shore" Railroad: Hotel stages will 
^^"^Ir^ Tt^^Sf Soa?^stXli,^wiicTrs^ o^n^rone-.uarter of a mile from the 
""For engagement of rooms, circulars, or other information, address. 

The Tremper House, 

Phoenicia, Ulster Co., N. Y. 



Churchill Hall, 

STAMFORD, N. Y. 

Most Delightful Location in the Catskills. 

Healthful and Attractive. Easy of Access. 



ELEVATION, iSoo FEET. 



ENLARGED AND IMPROVED FOR SEASON OF 94. 




^=i::^Mi 



-RErA R-V I E: W^e M VJ I^C H I L L:-H A L br 



ANOTHER large addition has been made to Churchill Hall this year — 
the New South Extension. With its high and massive tower, 
splendid rooms with many private baths attached, this enlargement is a 
unique feature of the house. Churchill Hall is admirably equipped for a 
summer home. Electric lights, electric bells, a commodious reading- 
room, library of several hundred volumes, fine music hall, baths and tele- 
graph office are among its appointments. 

Stamford is the starting point for the trip to Cooperstown and Rich- 
field Springs through the Charlotte Valley. Tourists will find Churchill 
Hall a desirable stopping place, and will be provided with good convey- 
ances for the delightful drive to Davenport Centre, terminus of Coopers- 
town Railroad, connecting with same trains as via Bloomville. 

For further information, descriptive circular and terms, address 

S. E. CHURCHILL, M. D., 

Stamford, N. Y. 




Season of 1804. 

ROGGEN'S IVIOUNTAIN HOTEL, 

IN THE HEART OF THE CATSKILLS. 



Open all tl»e year. Accomiiiodatioii for 150 Guests. 
Elevation of '2000 feet above tide-^vater. Onlj^ 5 
niinntes' ride from .Station. Carriag^es Avill be in 
^vaiting^ for Gnests on arrival of Trains. .«. .♦. ••• 

^HE Hotel farm of 250 acres provides an abundance of fresh vegetables, milk, poultry, 
II etc. Pure spring water on each floor. :Manv places of interest in vicinity, including 
■a. Hotel Kaaterskill, Mountain House, Kaaterskill Falls, Laurel Hou.se, Hames' Falls, 
Overlook Mountain House, Hunter, Clum Hill, Star Rock, Twilight Park, Kaaterskill and 
Plaaterkill Cloves, the wonderful Stonv Clove, Tannersville Drivmg Park, Beaver Lake, 
Raspberrv Lane, Elka Park, East-Kill-Vallev, Fawn's Leap, Profile Rock and Sleepy Hol- 
low Six'miles from terminus of Otis Elevating Railwav. Ad jommg the hotel property is 
the new Onteora Park, which, under the direction of Mr. Vaux, of Central Park Fame, has 
been laid out in graded drives, shaded walks, and many cottages erected. 



For July and August $10.00 to $15.00 per week; $2.00, 
$2.50 per day. At other seasons of the year Terms on application. 

SPECIAL RATES TO FAMILIES. 

Telegraph and Telephone., Livery, Billiards, Boivling, Tennis and 

Croquet, Barber-Shop, Post- Office opposite the Hotel. .... 

EXCELLENT FISHING AND BOATING. 



ROITTES FKOM NETl^ YORK. 

West Shore R R. via Kingston all rail to Tannersville, or via Catskill, West Shore R.R- 
or N. Y. C. & H. R. R.R. and Otis Elevating to Tannersville, Day or Night Boats via 
Kingston or Catskill, thence bv rail to Tannersville. 

On application carriages will meet guests at Palenville. 
W. P. ELLIS, Proprietor, - TannersviHe, Greene Co., N. Y. 

77 



C ommercial [] ouse, 



— —^—— —————— ^.^^ 



HOUSE pleasantly located on the main street near 
Depot. Within two minutes' walk of the Post and 
Telegraph Offices, and five minutes from church. Rooms 
large and airy. Fine views of mountains and valleys from 
every window. Good fishing and hunting. The famous 
Dry Brook and Halcott Trout streams join the East Branch 
of the Delaware River at this point, making it a headquarters 
for fishermen. ' Accommodations for thirty. Terms $2.00 
per day. Special arrangements by the week. Good livery 
and first-class accommodations for horses. 

H. R. WAIT, Proprietor. 



€-f§ €-^ 



E>m \mmn hotel®® 

BIG INDIAN, ULSTER CO., N. Y. 



Elevation 1209 Feet. 



Open all the Year. 



THIS well-known house is situated opposite the U. & D. R. R, station 
at the mouth of the Big Indian Valley, which has gained notoriety 
from its trout streams which afford excellent fishing. Parties en route to 
Slide Mountain, Winnisook Lodge, State Deer Park and the famous East 
and West Branches of the Neversink, will find this hotel convenient head- 
quarters, as it is located on the only direct route to the above places. 
House has been newly furnished throughout and otherwise improved. 
Accommodations for thirty-five guests. 

Terms: $7.00, $9.00 and Upward. 

Good Livery Attached to the Hotel. 

G. W. LAMENT, I^anager. 



THE UOHEl HOUSE IHO KAATEIISKILL FULLS 

IJHpER New Man/gemehj the P^st Foui|^Se_^sons. 

One mile from Hotel Kaaterskill ; One mile and a half from 
Catskill Mountain House. 




LAUREL HOUSB-J R- RALM:ER, Proprietor. 

POST OFFICE ADDRESS, HAINES' FALLS V. 0., GUEEX 00., NEW YORK. 

THE favorable and well-known Laurel House, located at the head of the celebrated 
Kaaterskill Falls, has recently been enlarged and newly furnished, having a 
capacity of 250 guests. Entire new plumbing and kitchen facilities. The entire 
management will be under the personal supervision of the proprietor, J. R. Palmer, who 
is also manager of the Palmer House, the famous winter resort, Lakewood, N. J. Tmie 

from New York, three hours and a half. Only Pure Spring: Water Used. Per- 
fect Drainage. No Malaria. 'Bus meets all trains from Laurel House Station free 
of charge. Gas, hot and cold baths, electric bells, etc. Over 600 feet of piazza on the 
building-more than any other hotel on the Mountains. First-class livery. Music by 
good orchestra. 

--nM5 TERMS ^«*8«^— 

June and September, 515 to 520 for Single Rooms, $20 to 335 for 

Double Rooms. July and August, 315 to 325 for Single, 325 

to 340 for Double. Daily, 32.50 to 34.00 a Day. 

Circulars furnished on application. Western Union Telegraph Office in the House. 



THE 5T/^nr©iiD) nmmi 

S. B. CHAMPION, Editor and Proprietor. 

$1.00 A YEAH. .... CIRCULATION 2,000. 



The Job Department 



Is equipped with the latest styles of type, fast presses, etc., and is prepared to 
do all kinds "of Printing at reasonable prices. 



HOTEL FLEISCHMANN, 

Eo Co L/^SMl, fioriRiET©^, 

Accommodates OO v3|^uests. 

Elevation 1,700 Peet. 

riouse rbewly PurnisQed C^h)rouar)Out. 

s— -*— + TERMS ON APPLICATION. ♦— ,— -s 

Livery attached. Nsar GenrgE Gould's SumniBr REsart and 

Grand HotEl. 

kleischm:anns, n. y. 
SIMPSON TERRACE 

New House withi Aoderr) \n\pro\/en\er\\s. Unobstructed 
View. Elevatior), 2ooo feet. Terrr^s accord- 
ing to location of Roorns ar^d 
lengthy of Stay. 

address, SlJirSOJJ TERRACE, Stamford, Del. Co., {}. J. 



THE WESTHOLM, Stamrord^DeL^o., N. Y. 



— "mmr- 

CUISINE OF THE BEST. 




'' PHE WESTHOLM is situated in the western part of the 
J^ Village of Stamford, has accommodations for forty per- 
sons. The house is new, and has all modern improvements 
for the convenience and comfort of the refined and better 
class of summer visitors. The rooms are large, and many 
of them connecting, while all have remarkably pleasant views 
both of mountain and valley. 

Great care has also been taken to have the plumbing 
work as perfect as possible. 

Within five minutes' walk of depot, post-office, or either 
of the five churches in the village. 
References ofiven if desired. 

Terms, on the basis of $io per week. Special arrange- 
ments with parties remaining during the season. 

Parties will be met at the depot upon notification. 
No applications desired from Hebrews. 
Address, 

Mrs. H. S. PRESTON, 
STA/AFORD, Delaware Co., H. Y. 

'6 81 




Elevation 
i.Soofeet. Ca- 
pacity 75. All 
m o d e r n im- 
provetn e n t s, 
including' el- 
ectric bells', 
toilet rooms 
on each floor, 
bath rooms, el- 
ectric light, 
etc. H use 
open year 
rovmd. Heat- 
e d through- 
out. Prices on 
application. 



^f^ 






.-?) 



ZCWXc»-tixxta.i3a. XTie-v^r Ho-VLSte, Benj, McKillip, Prop., Stamford, N. Y- 



H. W. PALEN'S SONS, 



DEALERS IN . 



Lumber, Lath, Shingles, Siding, Flooring, &c. 



MANUFACTURERS OF ■ 



Sash, Doors, Blinds, Stairs, Trim, &c. 

Contracts taken to furnish all material necessary for 
the construction of a house. Estimates furnished. Corres- 
pondence solicited. 

Main Office, Corner St. James and Prince Sts. 

yards, Frince St. and Wilbur (IVenue, Kingston, N. y. 



SEMINARY HEIGHTS, - - . STAMFORD, N. Y. 

Fine Location. Send for circular. Address, 

E. O. COV£L. 




INGLESIDK. 



THE ARCADIAN GROVE HOUSE 

IS situated on an eminence overlooking the Village of Arena, in a large 
Maple Grove. 

Seven miles from the Depot, and five minutes' walk from Post-Office, 
Telegraph Office and Church. 

It is beautifully located on the western slope of the Catskills, about 
1750 feet above sea level, on the banks of the Delaware River, midway 
between the summit of the mountains and the Beaverkill fishing grounds. 
Surrounded by tall mountains, waterfalls, lakes and streams of various 
sizes, it is a fine place for boating, bathing, fishing, driving and hunting. 

This house will be open for the entertainment of guests from May ist, 
to November ist. As this is the opening season for this house, no means 
have been spared to make everything pleasant and enjoyable for the enter- 
tainment of guests. Hoping to have the pleasure of entertaining yourself 
and friends this season, an early correspondence is solicited, as but a 
limited number can be entertained at once. 

Terms made known on application. 



W. W. SCUDDER, 

Arena, Delaware Co., N. V. 




THE NEW GRANT HOUSE, 



Stamford, N. Y. 



Will open Junk 1st and remain open nntil NovEMUER 1st. The house is new, well- 
heated, and furnished with all modern improvements, includini;' electric bells, electric 
lights and Western Union Telegraph. Livery. For rates and other particulars address, 

J. P. GRANT, Proprietor. 



THE MARTIN, 

PHCENICIA, Ulster Co., N. Y. 

Close to the station. Junction of Ulster & Delaware and Stony Clove 
& Catskill Mountain Railroads. Refreshments of all kinds served at short 
notice. Meals prepared at any hour by notifying proprietor by wire. 
Several of the best trout streams in the mountains are in this vicinity, and 
good hunting but a short distance from House. 

Single and double turnouts furnished at reasonable rates to take par- 
ties fishing, hunting or driving. First-class board and accommodations. 
For other particulars and information as to hunting and fishing, board, 
etc. , address as above. 

W. B. MARTIN, Proprietor. 

(Formerly Proprietor of Martin House, Lexington, N. Y.) 

Terms ^'J.OO per Day. 

Special Arrangements by the Week or Month. 



aCKEI^Ly HOUSE m W^ tttttt 









^^tr^^.-r.-^'-^:. 



n^K^^KEjmLLE, I^EL^Wd^E m. 



To 



OPEN ALL THE YEAR. 



THIS House is located in the beautiful Village of Margaretville, Delaware County, 
N. Y., in the wes-tein part of the Catskill Mountains, nine miles from Grand Hotel 
Station, Summit Mountain, and 49 miles from Kingston on-the-Hudson. The house is 
lighted with gas, and is supplied with pure spring water on every floor and in many of 
the rooms. 

Connected with and near the House is a beautiful park, situated on the east branch 
of the Delaware River, containing shade trees, walks, arbors, lawn tennis couris, swings, 
etc. Tiie vicinity abounds in picturesque scenery, beautiful drives and walks, and there 
is excellent trout fishing. 

Guests can purchase tickets in New York, Brooklyn or Jersey City, by all routes via 
Kingston or Rondout to ArkviUe Station (U. & D. R. R.) where they will leave the cars 
and take the omnibus to the house, which is only fifteen minutes' ride from the depot. 
Fare 15 cents. 



Accommodates 150. 



Terms $8 to $15 per Week. 



LIVERY ATTACHED. 



J^or Circulars, etc., please address. 



THO/AAS HILL, Jr , Proprietor, 

MARGARETVILLE, Delaware Co., N. Y. 



A 
A 



A 
A 



FT 



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Stamford, Delaware Co.,_^. V. 




l),\HE BANCROFT HOUSE is beautifully situated at 
the western end of Stamford Village, at an elevation 
of 2000 feet, commanding a fine view of the surrounding 
mountains and overlooking the Delaware Valley. As the 
building stands in the centre of a large open lot, there are 
no unpleasant back rooms. All are light and airy and have 
good views. 

Extensive Piazzas. Large Lawn in Front and Rear. 



Lawn Tennis, Croquet, etc. 



The sanitary condition is perfect, as all pipes and sewers are ventilated through the 
roof. Cuisine is noted as one of the best. Good, pure spring water. F'ive minutes from 
churches, telegraph, post-office and depot. 

George H. Bancroft. 




THE HUNTER HOUSE 

Is located in the pleasant village of Hunter, "Among the Catskills," and abounds in 
magnificent mountain scenery. The well-known hou^e is at an elevation of 1644 feet 
_^ above tidewater, and immediately opposite— but two miles distant— is Hunter Mount- 
"" ain, 4052 feet high, the highest peak of the whole Catskill range. The rooms all com- 
mand pleasant views, and are neatly and comfortably furnished, many of them having 
private balconies Suffi3ient arrangemsnts to warm the rooms in cold weather. Excur- 
sionists entertained at reasonable rates. Good bath-rooms in the house. 

The Table, which is one of the most important features, and to which we give special 
attention, is supplied with butter, eggs, milk and vegetables fresh from vicinity of house. 
Cuisine as good as any house in the Catskills. Pure spring water, constantly funning, is 
supplied by a never-failing spring. 

Rates for Board— Transients, $2.50 to $3.00 per day, according to location of room. 
Weeklv Board from $10.00 to Si7oo- To families remaining the entire season we make 
special' rates. Special rates for May and June, September and October. Sanitary arrange- 
ments perfect. 

Livery—First-class livery and convevances of all kinds to hire. Buggies, two, three 
and four seated wagons for pleasure parties. Hunter House Omnibus meets all trains. 
Free to and from the house. Five minutes ride from depot. Good boarding stables for 
parties bringing their own horses. 

Amusements— Billiard Room and Bowling Alley on the premises. Parlor enter- 
tainments permitted. Hunter has three churches— Presbyterian, Methodist and Catholic. 
Episcopal services in Union Hall. First-class barber shop in the house. 



Address : 



M. C. VAN PELT, Hunter, Green Co., N. Y. 



Access— By West Shore Railroad, from foot of Franklin Street or 42d Street, North 
River, to Kingston, thence by Ulster & Delaware Railroad to Phoenicia, thence by Stony 
Clove & Catskill Mountain Railway to Hunter. . ,_ , , 

Hudson River Railroad, from 42d Street (Grand Central Depot), to Rhinebeck, thence 
by ferry to Rondout, and Ulster & Delaware Railroad, as above. 

Day Boats from foot of Desbrosses Street and 22d Street to Rhinebeck, thence by terry 
to Rondout, and Ulster & Delaware Railroad, as above. j t^ ■. 

The J. W. Baldwin, from foot West 10th Street, N. R., Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 
at 4 P. M. „ , J ^,. J i 

The William F. Romer, from foot of 'West loth Street, N. R., Tuesday and Thursday at 
4 P. M., Saturday, at i P. M. 

87 




O 



WEST SHORE R. R. ^^^1L£^F^ 



PRICE, 



«1.00. 




HAl^ILTON HOUSE, third season. 

-<(({ NEW AND ELEGANT )))' 

IT has three attractive fronts, is the nearest to the depot and the most 
* central in the village. The rooms are unusuall}' large, with closets, 
ventilators, etc., the furniture is entirely new ; steam heat, bath-rooms 
and all modern improvements. The proprietor intends to keep up the 
reputation of the table for unsiir passed excellence. Full view of the sur- 
rounding mountains and the valley of the Delaware. 

Private Dining Rooms specially for the accommodation of Excursion 
Parties from other hotels and boarding houses on the line of the Ulster & 
Delaware Railroad. Those wishing to visit Mount Utsayantha on the 
arrival of the morning train and return on the afternoon train, can have 
meals ready on arrival, bv telegraphing to the proprietor, and conveyance 
for the mountain furnished at reasonable rates. Tourists for Coopers- 
town taken to the railroad station at West Davenport. 

The bar is supplied with the choicest wines, liquors and cigars.' 
Prices, $io to $20, according to location, size of room and length of 
stay. Accommodation for ico. 

Correspondence solicited. Address, 

k. E. TALLMADGE, Proprietor, 

Stamford, Delaware County, N. Y. 



-^is 18 9 4 i» — 

NEfF rORK - KINGSTON 



LINE STEAMERS 



Catskill Mountains 



s X :h: ..a. 3X/C E IS s 



AND 

WEE^ILE^M JFo MdPMJEM 

FROM 

Foot West 10th Street, Pier 46 North River, Daily, Except Sunday, at 4 p.m. 

SATURDAY BOAT, 1.00 P. A. 



Connecting at Rondout with Express Train for all Stations on Ulster & 
Delaware, Stony Clove and Kaaterskill Railroads 

AND ALL POINTS IS IHE 

CATSKILL MOUNTAINS 

ON SUNDAYS during the summer months, 

Two boats will leave for NEW YORK — Steamer James W. Baldwin 
will leave RONDOUT at 6.oo o'clock p.m., and Steamer William F. 
Romer on arrival of last train on tlie Ulster & Delaware R. R. will 
leave RONDOUT at II. oo o'clock P.M. 

mU & TI^EflPEI^ STEiipO(lT COiMPtltiy, 

RONDOUT, H. Y. 

90 




he JIadison 



Accommodations tor tiftv. Terms §io to $15, accordin.tf to rooms, r.ivery connecte 
with house. All modern improvements. A. C. VAN DYKE, Pkofrietok, 

Stamford, N. Y 



nTcnPsoii no«j 




STAMFORD. N. Y. 



THE ATCHTNSON HOUSE is beautifully situated at the western end 
of the Village at an elevation of 2000 feet, commanding a grand view 
of the surrounding mountains and the beautiful Delaware Valley. 

The House has just been enlarged, well heated and furnished with 
all modern improvements. Rooms are large, well lighted and furnished 
with comfortable beds, toilet rooms, hot and cold water on each floor, also 
connected with the public sewerage system. 

The tables will be supplied with fresh milk, butter, poultry, eggs and 
vegetables from the farm connected with the house. 

Reduced rates for spring and fall. Free carriage to and from trains. 
Good livery aitached. For references and prices address, 



W. D. ATCHINSON. 



C. C. CANFIELD, Proprietor, 

STAMFORD, N. Y. 




¥npHis is an en- 
tj^ tirely New 
House, located 
very pleasantly 
on an elevated 
portion of the 
Village. It is an 
up>-to-date 
building with 
the modern im- 
pr ov e m e n t s, 
such as bath 
and toilet 
rooms on each 
floor,se wer con- 
nections, heat- 
ed by hot air. 
The rooms are 
large and com- 
fortable. Broad 
verandas. The 
location is con- 
venient to post- 
office, depot, ex- 
press and tele- 
graph offices. 

We ask an in- 
vestigation of 
the merits of 
this House, 
knowing that it 
would please 
you. 

T e r m s a n d 
other informa- 
tion on applica- 
tion to the pro- 
prietor. 

C.C.C.'iNFIEI.D, 
Stamford, 
New York. 



HOTEL RYER ^^^™ kotoght, 



Delaware CoUrity, N. Y. 



OPEN ALL THE YEAR. 



^1 



MiTEWLY built and furnished. First-class accommoda- 
tions for transient parties or those spending the 
summer among- the Mountains. 

Within three minutes' walk of Railroad Station, Post- 
Office, Church and Telegraph Office. 

ACtOMifIOI>A'riO]\S FOR 2.3 QUESTS. 

All requests by wire or mail promptly attended to. 
For terms, which are reasonable, Address, 

ALBERT T. RYER, Proprietor. 



G. W. SHOEIMAKER, Prop. 




rrVR. G. W. SH0P:MAKER (former manager of the TwiUght inn, for 
/ M years) announces to his many friends and former guests that he has 
purchased this new house, and will open the season of 1894 at this 
popular summer resort under his personal management, early in June. 

The House is built after the most improved plans, and has first-class 
accommodations for 100 guests. The furniture and bedding are all new 
and of the best quality. The best of hair mattresses on all beds. Rooms 
of various sizes, and many connecting ; large closets in most of the rooms. 
The ventilation of this House is perfect. Fan lights over all doors. Per- 
fect sanitary S3'Stem ; inspection solicited. 

Hunter Mountain is one of the highest in the Catskills, the elevation 
being over 4,oco feet. 

> ^ THE TABLE, > -f 

Which is one of the most important features, and to which we give special attention, is 
first-class in every particular. Pure spring water, constantly running, is supplied by a 
never-failing spring. 

The Arlington will positively not entertain Hebrews. 

^ -f -f LIVERY. ^ -¥ -¥ 

First-class livery and convevances of all kinds to hire. Saddle horses, dog-carts, bug- 
gies, phaetons, buckboards and' large two and four-seated carriages for pleasure parties 
near at hand. Our own coaches meet all trains. Fare, passengers, 25 cents. Baggage 
delivered free. Ten minutes' ride from depot. Address, 

G. W. SHOEMAKER, HUNTER. N. Y. 
93 



DELAWARE HOUSE, # 

FI^ED. CI. TI^GLEy, Proprietor. 




STAFFORD, DELAWARE COUNTY, H. Y. 

Elevation, 2000 Feel, . . . Aicotnmodations for 40 Giiesls. 

— -<(((o));>- — 

The Delaware House is pleasantly situated on Main Street, within 
a short walk from Post-Office, Depot. Bank and Churches. The house 
has spacious verandas, is heated by steam, lighted by electricity, and has 
all modern improvements. The tables will be supplied with an abundance 
of fresh eggs, butter, milk, poultry, fruits vegetables, etc., direct from 
the farm. 

No pains will be spared to make it a first-class summer home. 

Free 'bus to and from all trains. 

Terms, $2.25 per day, $8.00 to $12.00 per week. Special rates to 
families. 



Mrs. M. M. Boggs, 

BO\"INA, N. Y. 



Six miles from South Kortright Depot. Daily mail. Good brook 
and pond fishing. 



Terms : $5. 



00 to $8.00 per week. 
94 



GRAHAM COTTAGE, 

Prattsville, Greene County, N. Y, 



Accommodations for 50. Healthy Altitude. 

Scenic Beauty of Location Unsurpassed. 



W. X. GRAHAM, - Proprietor. 



Prattsville, Greene County, N. Y. 



THIS WELL KNOWN 

Will be opened again this season for the accommodation of guests. 
Accommodations for 60 guests. 

MRS. P. RAEDER. 



Livery, Sale, Boarding and Exchange Stable 

OFFICE ON RAILKOAD AVENUE, OPPOSITE THE DEPOT, 
STA/nFORD, N. Y. 



First-class single and double turnouts at any hour of the day or night. Careful and 
competent drivers furnished when desired. Parties carried to Davenport Center to con- 
nect with Cooperstown Branch and to Schenevus, or on any point on the D. & H. R. R., at 
reasonable rates. Upon notice by telegraph or letter in advance, parties wishing to visit 
Mt. Utsayantha and return on afternoon train of the same day, will be met on arrival of 
morning train. 



JAY L. WOOD, Proprietor. 



The Kingston Freeman, ^ 

(R. W. ANDERSON, SUP'T.) 

Litliograpiiins, Engraving, Book Bindinn and Eibossing. 



Fine Job Printing 



RONDOUT P. O., N. Y. 



The Popular f^ouTE i°j^ 

C'^TSKILL IVlOUNTAlNS 

New York: Central. 




KAATERSKILL FALLS. 

npHIS great railroad also reaches by its through car lines more health and 'pleasure 
■'• resorts than any other American line. 

The New York Central carries its passengers luxuriously, with great speed and 
absolute safety. 

DON'T FAIL TO SEND TWO 

2 cent stamps to George H. Daniels, General Passenger Agent, Grand Central 
Station, New York, for a copy of the new Illustrated Catalogue of the "Four Track 
Series " Books and Etchings, — fifteen Books and eight Etchings. 

96 



HUDSON RIVER BY DAYLIGHT. 



The Most Charming: luluiid Water Trip 
on the American Coutineut. 




THE PALACE IRON STEAMERS 



IBcuj 5f ork and ^Ibang 



oZjE^ HUDSON RIVER DAY LINE 

Daily, except Sunday, from 
BROOKLYN, (b]r Annex) - 8.00 A.M. I NEW YORK. 22d St. Pier, N. R., 9.00 A.3I 
NKW YORK, Desbrosses St. Pier, 8.40 " I ALBANY, foot of Hamilton St., 8.30 " 

Connecting at RHINEBECK (by Ferrv) with Express Trains on the 
ULSTER & DELAWARE RAILROAD for all Points in the 

CATSKILL MOUNTAINS. 

RETURNING, Direct Connection is made nitli Steamers for New York. 

All tourists entertain the hope of enjoying', at some time, the charming scenery of 
the noble river which for variety and beauty is unequalled the world over. The costly 
and picturesque villas on the east shore of the lower Hudson, the wonderful Palisades, 
the grand and rugged Highlands, historic West Point, the towering Catskills and the 
pastoral fields sloping to the waters of the upper Hudson, form an ever-varying pano- 
rama that must always command the unqualified admiration of all true lovers of the 
beautiful in Nature. 

Appreciating the demand of the better class of tourists for comfort and luxury, 
the management of the DAY LINE have perfected their service in every manner possi- 
ble, keeping it fully abreast of the times. The elegant steamers are as famous as i.* 
the majestic river on which they run. Built of iron, of great speed and superb 
appointments, they are the finest of their class afloat. No freight of any description is 
carried, the steamers being designed exclusively for the passenger service. Richly 
furnished private parlors, giving absolute seclusion and privacy to small parties or 
families, are provided, and handsomely appointed dining-rooms with superior service 
are on the main deck, afl:ording an uninterrupted view of the magnificent scenery for 
which the Hudson is renowned. 

Excursion Tickets to Catskill Monntain Points are for sale at all the New York and 

Brooklyn Offlcesof the DAY LINE at Reduced Rates. Baggage 

Checked Through to Destination. 

Copy of "Summer Excursion Book" mailed on application. 

Desbro3SE8 Street Pier, New York. 



C. T. Van Santvoord, 

General Manager 



F. B. Hibbard, 

Gen'l Passenger Agt. 



Tl7^ jlaupts of 
Rip VanWinkle 



(o '+'3 




What a tale has been told us of good old Rip jf^ 
Van Winkle ! 

What a favorite with all but old Dame Vm 
Winkle 1 

How the children would shout with joy whei 
ever he approached. Why! he assisted at the 
sports, made their playthings, taught them to il . 
kites and shoot marbles, and told them long stories 
about ghosts, witches and Indians. 

Why ! the stray dogs loved him ; surrounded 
by a troop of them, hanging on his skirts, clam- 
bering on his back, playing a thousand tricks on 
him with impunity, and not a dog would bark at 
him throughout the neighborhood. 

Rip did not take kindly to labor for revenue, but Dame Van Winkle did. He was 
one of those happy mortals of foolish, well-oiled dispositions, who would take the 
world easy, eat white bread or brown, whichever could be had with least thought or 
trouble and would rather starve on a penny than work for a pound. If left to himself 
he would have whistled life away in perfect contentment ; but his wife kept contin- 
ually dinning in his ears about his idleness, his carelessness, and the ruin he was 
bringing on his family. Morning, noon and night her tongue was incessantly going, 
and everything he said or did was sure to produce a torrent of household eloquence. 

In search of quiet and rest old Rip started on a long ramble and unconsciously 
scrambled to one of the highest of the Catskill Mountains. Late in the afternoon, 
panting and fatigued, he threw himself on a green knoll, covered with mountain herb- 
age that crowned the brow of a precipice. 

From an opening between the trees he could overlook all the lower country for 
many a mile of rich woodland. He saw at a distance the lordly Hudson, far, far below 
him, moving on its silent but majestic course, with a reflection of a purple cloud, or 
the sail of a lagging bark, here and there sleeping on its glassy bosom, and at last 
losing itself in the blue Highlands. 

On the other side he looked down into the deep mountain glen, wild, lonely and 
shagged, the bottom filled with fragments from the impending clift's, and scarcely 
lighted by the reflected rays of the .setting sun. For some time Rip lay musing on 
this scene ; evening was gradually advancing, and the beautiful mountains began to 
throw their long blue shadows over the valleys ; he saw that it would be dark long 
before he could reach the village, and he heaved a heavy sigh when he thought of 
encountering the terrors of Dame Van Winkle. 

Rip then met the queer little Dutch people. He was naturally a thirsty soul and 
was soon tempted to help himself to their Holland beverage, which proved itself too 
strong for him. 

Twenty long years of silent slumber followed. 

The war of the Revolution took place ; George Washington was the hero of many 
a battle in the historic Hudson Valley against the force of King George III. 

Rip awoke and returned to town, where he had some difficulty in finding his folks 
and old acquaintances. Dame Van Winkle had gone forever, but his grandchildren 
remained. 

When railroads became the fashion and then a necessity the 



WEST- 
=RAILROAD 



Long Branch and New York, 

through to the heart of the 



found its way up the silvery 
^Hudson, and with the finest 

equipment ever run and with- 
_ont change of cars, conveys 
-passengers as no other line 

can, between Philadelphia, 

^atsl^ill fr\oui7tai95 



to Bloomville, stopping at principal stations en route, and connecting at Kingston with 
a most complete car line from point,s from and between Washington, Baltimore, Phil- 
adelphia and New York, which conveys passengers to Sarato.sfa and Lake George. 

In addition to this popular mountain line a sleeping car .service, par excellence, is 
in effect between New York, West Point, Albany, Utica, Syracuse, Rocheslor, liuffalo, 
Niagara Falls, Toronto, Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago and St. Lonis. 

Its Agents will furni.sh information. 

C. E, LAMBERT. 
5 Vanderbilt Avh., New York, General Passenger Agent, 



I 



I 



